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Turn back It’s not just the quantity but the your clocks quality of donations that counts in food drives, a Senate committee an hour when says...... 5 Daylight Campus glassblower Lori Neu not Saving Time only is producing scientific ends at 2 a.m. U N I V E R S I T Y equipment but is teaching some on Sunday, Pitt scientists how to make their own basic repairs...... 6 Nov. 7.

Kimberly K. Barlow TIMES VOLUME 43 • NUMBER 5 OCTOBER 28, 2010 UNIVERSITY OF Pitt assets recovering from largest-ever drop he University’s net assets to purchase multi-million dollar have not recovered homes, a horse farm and horses, Tentirely from fiscal year luxury cars and rare collectibles 2009’s largest-ever decline; how- such as Steiff teddy bears.” ever, Pitt’s consolidated financial Those assets were frozen and statement for fiscal year 2010, are being liquidated. Earlier this which ended June 30, shows net month, Greenwood’s Steiff stuffed assets have rebounded in part animal collection brought about and Pitt’s endowment — a major $1.75 million at auction. negative factor in the FY09 per- Ramicone said he was unsure formance — ended the year with when distribution of the proceeds a positive return. from the liquidated assets would After falling more than 17 begin. percent to $2.6 billion at the end Revenue highlights of FY09 (down from FY08’s $3.14 Research grants and contracts billion), net assets grew to $2.89 were the largest line item on the billion as of the June 30 end of FY10 balance sheet’s revenue side. FY10, up more than 11 percent Not counting nearly $43.7 from the prior year, but still off million in grants and contracts 8 percent compared with FY08. associated with the American Pitt’s endowment ended FY10 Recovery and Reinvestment with $2.02 billion in net assets, Act (ARRA), which were listed up from $1.83 billion at the prior separately, research revenues grew year-end, according to FY10 to $693.36 million in FY10, an audited financial statements increase of 6 percent. Mike Drazdzinski/CIDDE approved by the Board of Trustees Ramicone said the University Keynote speaker Rory A. Cooper, distinguished professor and chair in the Department of Reha- audit committee Oct. 14. is anticipating some $75 million bilitation Science and Technology, addressed the University Senate’s plenary session on social FY10’s total endowment return in ARRA research funding this entrepreneurship efforts at Pitt. Cooper spoke on “Forging New Freedoms for People With Dis- (earnings plus net gains) totaled fiscal year, noting that the end of abilities.” See pages 8-10. $235.1 million. In contrast, the stimulus plan is expected to endowment returns for FY09 were reduce Pitt’s research total in FY12 a negative $499.8 million. and FY13. Distinguishing the Survey says higher ed employees Gifts in FY10 added $21.85 ARRA dollars from other research million to Pitt’s endowment, up revenue will clarify what is behind from $20.8 million in FY09. the expected decline. “We want “Last year was a very difficult to make clear it’s because of the more confident about retirement year,” said Arthur G. Ramicone, stimulus’s effect,” Ramicone said. ith the economy still contribution retirement plans higher education sector, not just vice chancellor for Budget and Pitt’s research total in FY10 reeling from the 2008 offered here, with the other 10-15 from TIAA-CREF participants, Controller. “This year the endow- was $737 million, approximately Wrecession, are univer- percent in the defined benefit Frisch noted. ment did quite well. It bounced 63 percent of which came from sity employees nationally delaying program, which puts Pitt above Survey results were broken back. We had a return of over the National Institutes of Health. retirement or taking other steps the national average in the higher down into four levels of confi- 12.5 percent,” he said, noting that After research, net tuition was as a result? education sector of those enrolled dence: very confident; somewhat the upswing has continued in the the second-largest revenue line That was the central question in plans offered by their home confident; not too confident, and current fiscal year. item, totaling $457.3 million. The posed by TIAA-CREF researchers institution. not at all confident. Westridge commonwealth appropriation in a retirement confidence survey “Nationally, 90 percent of In response to the survey ques- While the economic downturn followed, adding $185.4 million. completed in June that measured higher ed employees are currently tion on overall retirement confi- was responsible for some of the Expenses perceptions related to retirement saving, compared to 60 percent dence — “How confident are you FY09 decline in Pitt’s endowment Compensation, perennially savings. The survey compared of U.S. workers,” Frisch said. In that you will have enough money value, some of the loss was related the University’s largest expense, employees in higher education to addition, 61 percent of higher to live comfortably throughout to securities fraud involving the exceeded $1 billion in FY10 all other employees in the United education employees have tried to retirement?” — the results were operators of Westridge Capital ($796.2 million in salaries and States. determine how much they need to as follows: Management and related firms, wages plus $240.7 million in In general, the survey showed save for a comfortable retirement, • For higher education with whom the University had benefits), up from $987.35 mil- significantly higher confidence compared to 46 percent of U.S. employees: 26 percent were very invested approximately $70 mil- lion in FY09. levels in their retirement plans workers, he said. confident; 54 percent, somewhat lion. Last year, the University Utility costs were the sole among university employees than A long-time member of TIAA- confident; 12 percent, not too valued its Westridge investment expense to decline, albeit mod- for those outside the higher educa- CREF’s advisory board for its confident, and 5 percent, not at at $34.9 million, representing a 50 estly, in FY10, dropping 1.2 per- tion sector. research wing, Frisch spoke in all confident. percent write-down that continues cent to $54.66 million. Ramicone That conclusion holds true at New Orleans last month at the • For all U.S. workers, 16 to be carried in FY10. attributed the result to lower- Pitt, said Ron Frisch, associate vice College and University Profes- percent were very confident; 38 Paul Greenwood, one of two than-projected steam rates for the chancellor for Human Resources. sional Association for Human percent, somewhat confident; 24 fund operators indicted in 2009, . In a nutshell, Frisch said, “The Resources (CUPA-HR) annual percent, not too confident, and pleaded guilty in July to the fraud q reality is that Pitt folks are typi- conference. He, along with Paul 22 percent, not at all confident. charges and is to be sentenced in In other business, the audit cally more informed and diligent Yakoboski, principal research Frisch said that comparison federal court in December. His committee approved KPMG as in their retirement planning fellow of the TIAA-CREF Insti- meant the higher education partner, Steven Walsh, has not Pitt’s independent auditor and tax than other groups, especially as tute, reported on the retirement community is markedly more changed his not-guilty plea. adviser for FY11. compared to counterparts in U.S. savings survey results, particularly confident than American workers According to the U.S. Securi- KPMG replaced Deloitte and non-higher education sectors.” as they apply to the higher educa- in general, although partly that ties and Exchange Commission, Touche in FY10. To illustrate the point, Frisch tion community. can be attributed to higher ed’s Greenwood and Walsh “essen- The full FY10 report can be said that 85-90 percent of Pitt While the TIAA-CREF Insti- worker demographics, such as age tially treated their clients’ invest- viewed online at www.bc.pitt.edu. employees are enrolled in either tute conducted the survey, data (generally older), as well as higher ments as their personal piggy bank —Kimberly K. Barlow n TIAA-CREF or Vanguard defined were garnered from across the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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access to those statements. That’s “What you can do calling the a concern,” he added. phone counseling centers in a Survey says higher ed employees Another concern is the gender matter of minutes is no different gap in information. from what you can do face-to- “We have historically seen face,” Frisch said. more confident about retirement a more conscientious group of “Those are TIAA-CREF and CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 women in financial planning. Vanguard staff who know the Pitt education and income levels. impacts ‘follow-through’ — 31 care costs. That’s taking into Why? I don’t know that, but my plans. That helps, because every While 90 percent of higher percent of those very confident account that as you get older you’ll colleagues said the same thing. As plan is different. It really pays to education employees are saving, regarding the advice generally have more health care needs, but we start planning for additional get advice specific to the plans, the confidence levels tell a some- followed all of it. By comparison, it’s not taking into consideration educational sessions to prepare because your plan design, which what different story, Frisch noted. only 7 percent of those somewhat long-term care or anything of that people for retirement, we’d like depends on your salary and the In response to the question, confident in the advice followed nature. That’s a pretty compelling to get more men involved,” Frisch choices you make, is always going “How confident are you that you all of it,” Frisch said. statistic,” he said. said. to be different. Even if you transfer are saving the right amount?” The most telling data on Frisch said the survey results Benefits officials have realized to another institution it’s their respondents reported as follows: retirement confidence levels, were useful to him in his ongoing for quite some time that earlier plan design you’ll need to know,” 21 percent were very confident; he said, derived from the ques- evaluation of Pitt’s retirement retirement planning, especially Frisch said. 59 percent were somewhat con- tion breaking down confidence benefits. in a shaky economy, is required. In addition, TIAA-CREF and fident; 15 percent were not too between having enough money “At Pitt we just have TIAA- “We used to tell people to start Vanguard staff have no stake in confident, and 4 percent were not in retirement to take care of basic CREF and Vanguard. These are planning at least by 60. Then we getting participants to sign up at all confident. expenses versus having enough two of the most efficient, well- moved it to 55. Now we’re think- for any particular plan. “They’re “What that tells us is that to take care of medical expenses. managed companies around. ing we need to move that to 50 and not earning a commission for there appears to be uninformed In the basic expenses category, Typically they are dedicated to start thinking about planning for anything. That way they can be saving in that people do not have for higher education employees, the not-for-profit sector, unlike that next 15 years, or how ever long objective and look out for your a good idea how much they need the percentages were as follows: industry, which uses a 401K it is you’re working,” Frisch said. interests,” he said. to accumulate,” Frisch said. “We 45 percent, very confident; 45 model,” Frisch said. The main message is: the earlier, For those employees who are see the ramifications in their con- percent, somewhat confident; 5 “While higher ed people, gen- the better, he said. starting at square one in their fidence in the large percentage of percent, not too confident, and 4 erally, are confident, I hear people How does the institution retirement planning, he recom- ‘somewhat confident,’ that is, ‘I percent, not at all confident. all the time say, ‘I’ll never have facilitate that? mends a call to the Benefits office. think I’m doing the right thing, In the medical expenses cat- enough money to retire.’ “What comes out in these sta- “Our folks can help direct but I’m not sure.’” egory, however, those percentages “Well, do you really know tistics is that higher ed institutions you. There’s the unvested period, Frisch believes employees both were: 23 percent, very confident; how much you have? Have you do a much better job at teaching there’s the vested period. We’ll have overestimated and underesti- 52 percent, somewhat confident; even looked at your TIAA-CREF employees. But we’re not there help you through that first step, mated their retirement nest eggs. 15 percent, not too confident, and statement? Have you talked to a yet. As informed as our folks are, get you set up, show you where to Confidence in the higher 8 percent, not at all confident. financial adviser? Most have not we can never provide enough go online, explain your options,” education community in the Confidence in covering basic done that,” he said. Appointments education. Those who want it, will he said. “We can’t make a fiscal investment of retirement savings expenses was much higher, Frisch with financial counselors are avail- come and get it. Unfortunately, decision for you. We can guide is at similar levels to confidence said. That translates into concerns able through Human Resources, many won’t. Many don’t realize you, we can coach you and we in saving the correct amount: 26 over retiree health insurance ben- TIAA-CREF and Vanguard, they need to plan until it’s too late.” can give you the names of the percent are very confident they are efits, which are a very expensive Frisch noted. He said that Pitt’s Benefits right people to talk to. But even investing wisely and 59 percent are proposition for higher education Much of the discussion at director John Kozar is working on TIAA-CREF and Vanguard can’t somewhat confident they are. “You institutions and well could be September’s CUPA-HR confer- a much broader series of programs tell you what to do. They can give would expect a higher figure in the driving skittish employees to delay ence centered on concerns over to address employee awareness you performance ratios and tell very confident category, given that retirement. uninformed employees, he said. and understanding. you, ‘If you do this, here’s what the nearly half — 49 percent — said “We don’t worry about that at “We’re moving into electronic “We’re working with TIAA- trend shows.’ They’re not allowed they had sought investment advice Pitt. We’re one of the anomalies statements and, frankly, I have a CREF and Vanguard on that to to say, ‘You’re out of your mind if from a financial adviser within the out there, that we offer such a problem with that.” Frisch said develop these programs. They’re you don’t enroll in this plan.’ You past year,” Frisch said. rich retiree health package. The many people simply delete mate- the experts, we should be using have your own fiduciary responsi- The disconnect, he said, is majority of people we talked to rial they receive online, whereas them. That came out of the CUPA bility, which makes sense. It’s the the confidence in the advice they in higher education did not have they may save a home mailing until conference,” Frisch said. way law is set up, too,” Frisch said. were given. “That’s the missing retiree health care as an offering,” they’re ready to read it. On the positive side, statistics “From our perspective, they’re link: 56 percent said they were Frisch said. (Details on Pitt’s retiree Online statements to retire- show that Pitt employees are partners. We provide what we con- very confident that the advice benefits are available at http://retiree. ment plan participants also can making phone or online inqui- sider to be some of the best oppor- they received was independent hr.pitt.edu/.) bypass spouses, who in many cases ries for financial counseling at an tunities for retirement investment and objective, and 41 percent said “If you retire today at age 65 manage the household finances, increasing rate. that we could possibly find, in an they were somewhat confident of and assuming you live to a ripe he noted. Calls to Vanguard, for example, efficient, low-cost manner. I’m a that. Confidence in the indepen- old age of 83, which statistically, “We have a fair number of increased by 27 percent between believer that if you’re not invest- dence and objectivity of the advice is the average age right now, the spouses who call us every day January 2008 and December 2009 ing, you’re leaving money on the projection is without the health that we answer questions for. and online requests for financial table. And the only person that Correction care insurance we offer, you’ll need Assuming that paper copies will go counseling at Vanguard increased you’re cheating is yourself.” Robert J. Weyant is chair of about $250,000 to cover health away, those people will not have 48 percent during that timeframe. —Peter Hart n the dental school’s Department of Dental Public Health & Informa- tion Management. His name was spelled incorrectly in the Oct. 14 . n

U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES EDITOR N. J. Brown 412/624-1373 [email protected] WRITERS

Kimberly K. Barlow 412/624-1379 [email protected] Peter Hart 412/624-1374 [email protected] BUSINESS MANAGER Barbara DelRaso 412/624-4644 [email protected] Events Calendar: [email protected] The University Times is published bi-weekly on Thursdays by the . Send correspondence to University Times, 308 , University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260; fax to 412/624-4579 or email: [email protected]. Kimberly K. Barlow Subscriptions are available at a cost of $25 for A new mural featuring the people and places of past the public art project was solicited through community meetings. the publishing year, which runs from Septem- and present was unveiled Oct. 22 on the wall of Sorrento’s Pizza Surrounding a central image of Forbes Field, clockwise from the ber through July. Make checks payable to the Roma on Atwood Street. top left, the mural depicts Phipps Conservatory; the Schenley University of Pittsburgh. Plaza carousel; the Panther Hollow bridge; Andy Warhol, Fred The is available electronically at: The mural is a collaboration of the Oakland Planning and Devel- Rogers and Bill Mazeroski; Heinz Chapel; Oakland residential www.utimes.pitt.edu. opment Corp., the MLK (Moving the Lives of Kids) Mural Project architecture; Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, and a represen- and local community members, whose input on the content of tation of Oakland community members.

2 OCTOBER 28, 2010

he United States is rapidly doing unto others as you would on its way to becoming a have them do unto you “means Tpluralistic nation. Around I’m going to treat you like me,” the middle of the 21st century, the he said. “What if not everyone white majority will shrink and the wants to be treated as just like nation will become a society in another you?” which no single racial or ethnic Cortés asked, “Are there group represents a majority of the D VErSitY circumstances when in fact dif- population. i ferential treatment of different “We’re all coming together, groups is fairer?” but we’re not sure what it all He cited the recognition by the means,” said University of Cali- We need to prepare students Boston Symphony Orchestra in fornia-Riverside professor emeri- the 1950s that women were under- tus of history Carlos Cortés, in represented. Conducting tryouts his School of Arts and Sciences behind a curtain so judges couldn’t Teaching Excellence Lecture, for a dramatically different see who was playing yielded an “The Changing Face of America.” increase in women filling the “What does it mean to be in orchestra chairs. “That was a case a pluralistic population? What where treating everyone alike was does leadership mean? What does world, lecturer says the most equitable,” he said. being a professional mean in those In contrast, he noted that his situations?” asked Cortés, author nation in an increasingly global- about men or women … the fact “What does it mean, what home state’s motor vehicle policy of several books on multicultural- ized world. that men or women may be differ- doors does it open, what things required that after he turned 70, ism and diversity. First, he said, students must ent, you’re talking about cultural do I need to know about?” he said. he no longer could renew his “What does it mean when understand diversity. Cortés differences. Race, ethnicity and “And since in fact group-ness driver’s license remotely, but had an 18-year-old is entering the noted that while many businesses religion: Why study religions is part of me, then I also need to to be tested in person. “I was University of Pittsburgh or any or institutions have developed of the world or of our nation if recognize it’s a part of you.” being discriminated against just university in the United States and diversity statements, there’s no those religions don’t have some because my birthday came along,” we’re saying ‘We want to prepare agreement on exactly what diver- meaning for individuals who are History he said, adding that although 70 is you for the future?’” sity means. part of them?” In addition to understanding an arbitrary number, he is in favor The question is an apt one for “I think that’s a danger because Cortés said, “I find just the their own and others’ relationship of keeping people his age from educators who are charged with it simply becomes a code word ability to have healthy use of to their culture, students need to driving unless they prove they preparing students for a world without meaning anything,” generalizations while avoiding develop a grasp of the historical can, given that people tend to lose that will be dramatically different Cortés argued. stereotyping is a huge learned processes that have formed today’s physical ability at about that age. from the world today. skill. If we don’t help students culture. “Outguessing the future is a What is diversity? learn to be able to function with “We can’t just forget the past Professional implications hellish thing. It’s not easy,” Cortés “To me, diversity does not constructive generalizations — because institutions have grown Students need to be trained to said. “When we’re structuring mean difference. Nor does it which all science is based on — up based on history and culture,” be culturally responsive profes- undergraduate education, in a mean variety. If diversity was and avoid stereotyping, then we he said. “Rules have grown up — sionals as they prepare for careers sense we’re all implicit futurists only another word for variety haven’t equipped them with stuff sometimes you don’t know why — in a diverse culture, Cortés said. — We’re preparing people for a or another word for difference, they need to function in a diverse and memories build up in people In 2005 New Jersey became world that we’re not quite sure we wouldn’t need it,” he said. society.” and in nations and in groups that the first state to require cultural about what it’s going to entail and “Diversity refers not to individual Students need to contemplate have real ramifications,” he said, competency as part of physician what it’s going to mean.” differences; it refers to patterned what it means when people of citing minority underrepresenta- licensures, in recognition that One thing is certain: “Diversity differences based on the groups to different backgrounds come tion in medical research today as doctors must provide care to is going to be part of our future,” which you belong: Race, gender, together, he said. “They’re not an example of collective memory patients with diverse values who said Cortés. religion, age, ethnicity, sexual just people, they’re people who that arose based on history, may have different cultural, social “The framework on how to orientation, disability, ability,” he come from groups. Those groups including the Tuskegee syphilis or linguistic needs, he said. make diversity a meaningful part said. “If you believe every indi- have meaning. What does it mean experiments. Lawyers today are dealing of the curriculum and the future- vidual is just a freestanding human when Christians and Jews come Understanding how institu- with issues of what happens looking part of the curriculum is being unattached to anything … together? Or Jews and Muslims? tions and groups have evolved when people of different cultural still awash with dissent and I don’t then in fact there’s no reason to Or Muslims and Christians? Or is important, he said. Using the backgrounds come into the legal think we’re ever going to come up ever study groupings of people.” black and white? Constitution as an example, he system. “What adjustments do with ‘the’ answer. I don’t see this Once there is a recognition that “It’s not just people with differ- noted the document was “born we make in the legal system to as a problem that problem-solving the groups to which an individual ent skin colors or people wearing with asterisks” to the basic tenet integrate immigrants into our techniques are going to resolve,” belongs may have an influence, different kinds of icons around that all people are created equal, system?” he said. “then you’re on the road to saying their neck or different kinds of citing restrictions on citizenship Cultural changes have “But I do see it as a place diversity is real, it means some- clothing. … There’s human con- or on voting that excluded some impacted architectural fields where recognition of these — not thing and therefore we’ve got to tent behind it when you bring groups. with the recognition of feng shui only of the changing realities of contend with it,” Cortés said. different sorts of folks together. Part of the understanding as a principle in designing offices demographics, but the changing “The first step is simply the That’s why the study of how cul- of history, he said, includes not or homes, or the need for home- attitudes about those changing admission that belonging to a tures and groups come into contact only knowing what asterisks are builders to understand cultures realities — ought to be a part of group has meaning to your life, becomes such an important part in the founding documents, but where multiple generations of a good undergraduate preparation including belonging to groups of analyzing the world around us.” also understanding the historical extended family live together in for the future.” over which you had no or little process that removed some of order to build homes that will meet Cortés, who has consulted on choice about whether you belong Self-understanding them, recognizing which asterisks potential buyers’ needs. development of diversity require- to them,” he said. “College is the ideal place remain and what new ones have ments at colleges and universities, “Diversity is an outgrowth for students to begin to really been added, and considering No one size fits all said such policies represent a step of the recognition that equity in have a sense of their connection which asterisks today’s society is Cortés said that many universi- forward. But, he said, “I have never America is partially group based,” to a diverse world,” Cortés said. struggling to remove. ties are trying to develop curricula found a diversity requirement that Cortés said. “‘Partially’ because “What does it mean to be a man or “I think helping undergradu- to meet these cultural competency I’ve liked. we’re not prisoners of groups, but a woman? What does it mean to be ates grapple with these questions is needs, but no one program is a “I have yet to see colleges and we’re influenced by them.” black or Latino or Asian or white? part of their preparation for being model. “One size doesn’t fit all,” universities grappling with the Understanding that groups What’s it mean to be part of the citizens in a multicultural nation he said, suggesting that institu- kinds of essential issues of what make a difference leads to another different ethnic groups? What’s it in a globalizing world,” he said. tions draw from others’ work, but it means to prepare young people question: What do we need to mean to be gay or straight? How “The issue of creating equity build their own curriculum from for a future in which diversity will learn about those groups in order does this influence my life? in a society is an ongoing struggle. scratch. “Reinventing the wheel be a pre-eminent factor.” to understand their significance in If students don’t have a grasp on is important,” he said. The concept of cultural com- individuals’ lives? “That’s where the nature of that struggle — Cortés cited former Indian petency has come to the fore in the issue of cultural competence what it has meant historically and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Neh- recent years. “The question is comes in,” Cortés said. what it means today — how are ru’s famed analogy that life is like how can we make cultural com- we going to be able to make our a game of cards: The hand that petency — since it’s the reigning The value of generalizing 21st-century multicultural society is dealt is determinism, but how term — something that is part Undergraduates need an work?” it is played is free will. “I’ve laid of our perceptual and analytical opportunity to grapple with the out the determinism history, the framework on what we’re doing concept of culture as well as the Dilemmas determinism culture, the deter- without becoming so reductive content of some of the cultural Students also need to be pre- minism of diversity — not in terms that we’re trying to metricize groups that make up the world pared to grapple with dilemmas of diversity of the individual but it into statistical measurements around them, Cortés said. inherent in a diverse nation — in terms of the nature of diverse to prove whether you’re a good More and more people are issues for which the right answers societies. And now we have the multiculturalist or not?” he said, afraid of making generalizations aren’t easily found. free will to say: Can we make our cautioning, “I don’t think it’s the for fear of stereotyping. “If we Cortés noted that many people educational institutions more sort of thing that lends itself to don’t generalize, we almost can’t cite the Golden Rule as the prin- responsive so that we’re helping to metrics.” say anything about anything,” ciple they use when dealing with prepare young people to become Cortés offered the following Cortés said. “If we talk about people of different backgrounds. future leaders in a multicultural thoughts on preparing under- a nation and its culture, you’re “On one level, that’s fine,” he society?” graduates for a future in a diverse making generalizations. Talking Carlos Cortés said. However, on another level, —Kimberly K. Barlow n

3 U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES

neuroimaging research program. • Plexision, a company that The company is based on a medical plans to develop a line of diagnos- Pitt secured 33 patents in FY10 device designed to treat insomnia tic tests and biomarkers that assist by cooling the front part of the in mediating disease pathways. he U.S. Patent office total to 80. dents into companies, networking brain and reducing metabolism The startup is based on an immune awarded 33 patents to the • Invention disclosures fell to and conducting sponsored or col- during sleep. system monitoring system devel- TUniversity and technology 225, down from 254 in FY09. More laborative research, for example • Decision Simulation, a spin- oped by transplantation surgery commercialization at Pitt gener- than 350 University employees — also helps move technologies off that has licensed a computer faculty member Rakesh Sindhi, ated revenue of more than $6 mil- and students were represented in toward the marketplace more software system developed by director of pediatric transplant lion in fiscal year 2010, bringing the 225 submissions, which are the efficiently, creating a win-win James McGee, a faculty member research at Children’s Hospital. the five-year total for Pitt’s efforts first step in the commercialization situation. in medicine and assistant dean for Sindhi’s diagnostic assay system to more than 144 patents and process. Looking ahead, Malandro medical education technology. measures the risk of organ rejec- revenues of $34 million, according q foresees turbulence in the health The software provides virtual tion and the effects of anti-rejec- to the recently released Office of Marc S. Malandro, associate care sector, given the uncertainty patient simulation for medical tion drugs. Technology Management annual vice chancellor for Technology surrounding health care reform. education and includes a manage- • Telecardia, a company based report. Management and Commercializa- “Nobody knows where it’s ment system for education and on technology developed by OTM and the affiliated Office tion and OTM director, said FY10 going,” he said. “We definitely assessment. cardiac surgery faculty member of Enterprise Development, was a year in which the office had will have to deal with it.” • Insituvue, a company estab- Marco Zenati. Zenati’s “Cardio- Health Sciences oversee com- to respond to the changing envi- Unlike software, for instance, lished to market the sonic flash- Guard” device is designed to be mercialization of University intel- ronment in biotechnology and where commercialization is cen- light developed by bioengineering implanted on the surface of the lectual property. pharmaceutical sectors impacted tered on knowing the potential faculty member George Stetten. heart to give cardiac patients early The bulk of the FY10 revenue by corporate consolidations, market for a product, commer- The technology, which was warning of heart attacks. — $3.8 million — came from acquisitions and bankruptcies. cializing health care innovations licensed to a product develop- q licensing income, with reimburse- Companies can’t afford to is more complicated due to the ment company in FY09, replaces Licensing is one aspect of ment of legal fees adding $2.2 mil- make mistakes in choosing which additional challenges of navigating ultrasound monitor displays with technology transfer that fits into lion. There were no equity sales technologies to pursue, so they the regulatory and reimbursement a virtual image on the part of the the University’s broader mission of from startup companies based on increasingly are looking farther pathways that likewise impact a body being scanned. teaching, research and service. But Pitt technologies to include in the and farther down the develop- product’s marketability. • Parallel Solutions, a startup the University’s impact goes well FY10 total. ment pathway in the interest of The ability to commercialize based on radio frequency iden- beyond counting the number of OTM also reported: “de-risking,” Malandro said. The novel treatments or diagnostics tification (RFID) technology patents issued. Such figures aren’t • Licensing and options rose to days of companies approaching hinges on the direction health developed by Marlin Mickle, the necessarily a true measure of how 54 — a 32 percent increase over the University with a “what do care reform will take. Given that Nickolas A. DeCecco Professor much of the federal investment in the prior year. you have to license?” approach the uncertainty makes it difficult in the Department of Electri- research is benefiting the public, A change in the way the Asso- are past; he said today’s trend is to to strategize, remaining nimble in cal and Computer Engineering Malandro noted, adding that the ciation of University Technol- have institutions take innovations order to react to whatever changes and faculty member in electrical infrastructure to track it needs ogy Managers (AUTM) counts as far as possible using federal and become reality is important. “It’s engineering, computer engineer- further development. licenses and options is changing other funding sources with more a big unknown,” he said. “Under- ing, telecommunications and “We count the people we how the University reports that proving, prototyping and test- standing how these are going to industrial engineering. Designed educate as part of the impact,” category. The new system permits ing completed before companies move forward is challenging.” mainly for first responders, the through such programs as the the inclusion of sublicenses exe- step into the commercialization q RFID system provides loca- Academic Entrepreneurship and cuted (Pitt had two) and licenses process. OTM reported six startup tion, identification and sensory Benchtop to Bedside courses for that come under inter-institu- However, he said, very early- companies were launched in FY10 information in buildings. Other faculty, as well as through educa- tional agreements in which Pitt is stage research partnerships (which based on Pitt technologies. markets include life safety for tion of MBAs, post-docs and other not leading the commercialization include options to license) are on They are: personnel in dangerous situations, graduate students, Malandro said. (Pitt had 24). When added to the the upswing. Building broad, deep • Cerêve, founded by psy- child safety, hospital/hospice Quantifying the number of 54 regular licenses and options, relationships between universities chiatry faculty member Eric safety and tracking situations such invention disclosures that make the new subcategories bring the and businesses — by moving stu- Nofzinger, director of the sleep as in prisons. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

4 OCTOBER 28, 2010

The , named for John M. and Gertrude Senate group wants to improve food drives E. Petersen, as is the , is nearing comple- he University Senate at 412/624-7709 or [email protected]. down on Boundary Street who is homecoming events are supported tion, Wilds said. The complex will community relations com- Online sign up also is available complaining continuously about by local community organizations, provide state-of-the-art homes for Tmittee (CRC) last week at www.commrel.pitt.edu/CRO- the ‘bombs’ that are going to such as the Oakland Community the Panthers baseball, softball and strategized about food collections volunteerpoolform.html.) be exploding, which he says are Council, Oakland Planning and men’s and women’s soccer teams. with a staff member of the non- Gwen Watkins, the Staff Asso- going to adversely impact his Development Corp. and the Wilds also reported that con- profit organization that runs the ciation Council liaison to CRC, 90-plus-year-old parents. We’ve Oakland Business Improvement struction is expected to begin on Oakland Food Pantry. reported that SAC is planning a had fireworks in connection with District. Members were pleased the addition Nov. 1. (See Genevieve Barbee of Com- pre-Thanksgiving food collection. homecoming for about 20 years. that the University will notify July 22 University Times.) munity Human Services (CHS), One of the beneficiaries will be the We view fireworks as an asset for the neighbors adjacent to the • As part of its community which helps run the year-old food Oakland Food Pantry, Watkins the community.” University’s campus about the outreach effort, the committee pantry at 3201 Craft Place, told said. To drum up support for the Wilds added that the fireworks homecoming activities, including toured the new Children’s Hos- the committee that awareness of food drive, SAC plans to invite a event, which is expected to last details on the fireworks event. pital of Pittsburgh, located in the food pantry is increasing, as representative from the Oakland about 25 minutes, meets the safety • Wilds reported that a dedica- Lawrenceville. evidenced by the number of people Food Pantry to its Nov. 10 meet- requirements of the city’s Depart- tion ceremony, as yet unscheduled, • CRC’s next meeting is set for it now serves. “Just in two days in ing, she added. “I think it’s better ment of Public Safety, as well as is being planned for the new ath- noon on Nov. 16 in 272 Hillman October, we distributed food to 50 when people give to get to hear all fire department regulations. letics fields under construction at Library. heads of households, about double from the people they’re giving CRC members noted that the Robinson Court, near . —Peter Hart n what we normally see,” she said. to and see how committed those She said the pantry is focusing people are. It brings the message on procuring donated food with home more clearly.” higher nutritional value. “We’re Also at its Oct. 19 meeting, focusing on helping people with CRC discussed two future proj- special dietary needs, like those ects. with diabetes or heart disease who CRC co-chair Martha Terry need low-salt products. So, we’re reported on plans to host the not just getting people food, but fall 2011 Senate plenary session, getting them the nutrition they tentatively titled “Community- need.” Engaged Service and Practice.” Barbee said that while the “What we want to do is feature food pantry never turns down a some of the community-based ser- donated item, donors sometimes vice projects that are being done give food because they don’t want at Pitt. That’s means everything it themselves, rather than because from telling communities what of high nutritional content. “It’s you’re going to do, to listening a matter of informed giving. A to what communities would like lot of people don’t know that we us to do, to engaging them in the need low-salt products, or that we whole process and everything in need women’s hygiene products,” between,” Terry said. she noted. (For information about She also asked committee the Oakland Food Pantry, call members to keep track of the 412/246-1648.) organizations and agencies where CRC member Steve Zupcic, they volunteer. who leads Pitt’s annual spring “What we want to do at the food drive benefiting the Greater end of the year for an annual Pittsburgh Community Food report is compile a list, an overall Bank and its satellite area pantries, look, at the places where we on including the Oakland pantry, said the committee do service. That’s Pitt’s efforts also should focus on what we’re all about, after all,” high nutrition. “One person’s Terry said. idea of what’s healthy might vary q from the next person’s,” he noted, In other CRC business: adding that’s why the virtual food • Responding to a written com- drives, where people select items plaint, CRC members expressed online to be purchased with their support of Pitt’s homecoming donations, have become more festivities, including the laser show important than “physical” food and fireworks event, which will be drives, because they can meet held at 9 p.m. Oct. 29. targeted needs. “With the virtual John Wilds, assistant vice food drive, with the leveraging chancellor for community rela- power the food bank has, for every tions and a chancellor’s liaison to dollar you donate, you’re purchas- CRC, said, “There’s a neighbor ing about $8 worth of food, and it’s needed food,” Zupcic said. CRC co-chair Denise Chisholm said, “That’s a power- ful message. It might lead people to donate money instead of going out to Giant Eagle, buying food and donating that.” She added that a good strategy for those organiz- ing “physical” food drives would be asking for specific products or a range of products, that is, mimicking certain clothing drives such as those that ask for women’s professional clothing. Zupcic also reported on Pitt’s ongoing efforts to support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. To avoid a conflict with Thanksgiving, November’s “Fourth Thursday,” program has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 23, Zupcic said. Fourth Thursdays is the Pitt- sponsored community volunteer effort to repackage and distribute food at the community food bank’s warehouse in Duquesne on the fourth Thursday evening of each month. (For more information on Fourth Thursdays or other vol- unteer projects, contact Zupcic

5 U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES GLASS CLASS: Teaching the basics of a vanishing skill oot traffic outside Pitt’s glass member Tara Meyer, offered basic the availability of other materials materials science, radiology and what can be fabricated from glass, shop in Allen Hall often scientific glassblowing as a one- such as ceramics and plastics and cardiology as well as some outside allowing them to envision custom Fslows when the University’s credit graduate-level advanced the broader array of scientific the University. designs, Meyer said. scientific glassblower is at work. topics course. Neu will teach the glassware available through cata- “Someday I’d like to see gradu- She sees a green aspect to the Amid the hiss of gas and the course again this spring and hopes logs, there isn’t as much call for ate students from all over,” Neu course as well. “Across the scien- glow of flames from a hand torch, eventually to broaden its availabil- the skill today. said, adding that she’d like to tific world, lots of glassware that Lori Neu works magic — repair- ity. Currently, the class is limited But emergency repairs still arrange her workshop to accom- is broken in a small way is thrown ing broken glassware or creating to five and open only to doctoral are needed and custom work isn’t modate as many as seven students. away instead of being repaired,” in custom apparatus — all the while students in chemistry. always readily available, Neu said. Given that many of her custom- spite of the fact that, in contrast making it look easy. Students learn to bend and Scientific glassblowers are few ers in the glass shop have expressed to many other materials, holes in Neu is happy to demonstrate join glass, making various kinds and far between. According to the interest in learning more about glassware can be repaired “and and explain her work to visitors, of seals and adapters. They also field’s professional organization, what she does, Neu is convinced made as good, as strong and as and now is letting a select group learn to complete simple repairs the American Scientific Glass that plenty of prospective stu- useful as the original,” Meyer said. of graduate students try their hand and to fabricate simple apparatus, Society (ASGS), Neu is one of only dents are out there. Neverthe- “The ability to repair it is nice in at the basics of her profession. such as bubblers for bubbling gases two in and is among less, graduate chemistry students a sustainable way.” Despite the fact that Pitt has through a liquid, and tube-within- only 26 in the northeastern U.S. would have priority — not solely q had at least one glassblower on a-tube condensers for condensing Chemists, physicists and chem- because she’s officially a chemistry Neu said she expressed interest staff for decades, the course offer- vapors. ical engineers are the main users, department staff member, but also in offering instruction in glass- ing is believed to be a first at the In the not-so-distant past, but many disciplines have some because they stand to use the skills blowing when she interviewed University. many chemists did their own need for scientific glassblowing. most frequently. “It’s an exciting at Pitt, but after taking the job Last spring, Neu, in con- glassblowing, Neu said. With To date, Neu counts customers opportunity for graduate students in 2007 delayed launching the junction with chemistry faculty the rise of computer modeling, from 34 different areas, including to get a hands-on feel for scientific course until she settled into her glassblowing that someday may new surroundings and gauged her help them in their research,” own workload. Extrapolating from Neu said. ASGS survey data, Neu estimated A proposal to expand the that about one-third of the nation’s course is in the works, said Meyer, university glassblowers offer some who oversees and advises the sort of glassblowing instruction. course while leaving the hands-on Her class currently is set up instruction to Neu. as a three-hour lab held once a Meyer noted that as the week, although Neu is consider- glassblowing field has become ing proposing alternatives, such as more industrialized, fewer local expanding the class to two credits glassblowers are available to or compacting the one-credit class create custom work, making it into a half-term, meeting twice a more imperative for scientists to week to minimize the gap between have some ability to do their own classes. glass work. She said glassblowing is like “In one term, they’re not going riding a bike — students may have to be able to make the things she the ability but need to refresh their can make,” but students in Neu’s knowledge each time if they’re class will gain an understanding of CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 not doing it regularly. “Students in industry or government. Above, Pitt scientific glass- blower Lori Neu assists Tao Li would get more out of it if they Student Peter Bell, who plans as he learns to gather glass to came twice a week for three hours to teach after he earns his PhD, form a custom flask. each time,” Neu said, adding that leaped at the chance to sign up At right, Neu helps student in addition to focusing on gaining for the course and hasn’t lost his Kristy Gogick tip off a vacuum basic skills, students could try enthusiasm for working with glass. tube from a glass manifold. During the spring 2010 term, their hand at fabricating more He’d like to see an intermediate Neu offered hands-on instruc- complicated apparatus and have level course for students interested tion through a new glassblow- extra practice time in the shop. in going beyond the basics. ing course for graduate chem- istry students. The class will Neu isn’t aiming to train a new Although Bell would like to be offered again in the coming generation of scientific glassblow- lecture at a large university, he spring term and Neu hopes to ers, despite the fact that the field’s anticipates most teaching oppor- expand its availability. professional society numbers only tunities will be at smaller colleges about 650. Instead, she hopes with smaller budgets. “You’re not to send at least a few chemistry going to have a glassblower on graduates into the world with the campus and you’re probably not ability to make simple repairs, going to have the resources to get fabricate some basic glassware and lots of glassware.” Knowing how better understand the principles to repair glass will be a unique behind glassblowing so that they addition to his qualifications, are better able to work with a said Bell. scientific glassblower when they In Neu’s class he learned to need custom-designed glassware. bend, pull and join glass tubing in Photos by Peter Bell q a variety of ways. After a semester’s Although Neu’s years of expe- worth of learning the basic joints, rience and advanced skill level “We probably have the tools to make glassblowing look simple, it’s make anything,” he said. not as easy as it looks. Some will Tao Li began the course with a find the exacting work relaxing; head start on his classmates. Part others reap only frustration. To of his work in the lab of chem- ensure students have an idea of istry faculty member Nathaniel what they’re signing up for, “The Rosi involves testing materials’ course prerequisite is to come see reactions in sealed glass tubes. I am unique me first and blow glass,” Neu said. He estimates he might prepare “You’ve got to be willing to physi- 20-30 such samples in a day, having cally try it,” she said, cautioning learned from another graduate that although safety is a primary student how to pull a vacuum I’m part of the Model United Nations emphasis, the risk of cuts and burns and seal the glass tubes to create team at Ellis and captain of our JV comes with the territory. an environment devoid of water After initial instruction in and oxygen. tennis team » I love that Ellis lets me safety, each class period generally “Still, I learned a lot in class,” explore many different options for consists of a demonstration and he said, noting that Neu showed my future – I’m in leadership, science, discussion of the skills Neu hopes him a faster way to seal the tubes. to impart, followed by hands-on “It was not very easy at the math, history, and writing clubs » practice. beginning, but it was not too hard. Academically I couldn’t ask for The three students who com- Lori teaches very well,” he said. anything better than Ellis; no other pleted the course last spring gave Each week brought a different school helps you to think and learn it high marks. skill — learning a new type of seal Christy Gogick is among the or how to create something useful. the way Ellis does. researchers who take their broken The one-on-one attention helped glassware to Neu for repair, and him through the parts he initially said she was fascinated by the pros- couldn’t do well. pect of learning to work with glass At the end of the term students herself. Gogick said the course were challenged to combine their Open House presented a unique opportunity. skill and imagination to create Sunday, November 7 Comparing notes with friends a complicated piece. Li’s mas- in graduate chemistry programs terpiece was a complex maze of 2:00 pm at other universities, “None of intricately connected glass tubing. them have this available to them,” As another test of his skill and she said. creativity, he formed a miniature Her classroom experience teapot from the glass tubing. started out “disastrous,” but by Li said he found the course I am an ellis girl the end she gained competence. relaxing, adding that he enjoyed She found it useful to learn basic having the opportunity in class to The Ellis School Pittsburgh’s Only Age 3 – Grade 12 Independent Girls’ School repairs and expects those skills will focus entirely on the glass. “Most www.TheEllisSchool.org 412.661.4880 come in handy after graduation. important is I had fun.” Gogick hopes to launch a career —Kimberly K. Barlow n

7 U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES

ocial entrepreneurs com- been nearly as successful in the ing principle — to modify the men, he added, “because you’re bine research, knowledge post-service employment sector, environment, rather than exclude seeing the social and technological Sand a passion for change he added. the disabled. aspects combined. We try to take to make an impact on the world In his talk, Cooper mostly Later a faculty mentor con- advantage of that in our depart- around them. They also are focused on his own story and what vinced him to go into bioengineer- ment.” described as nontraditional think- he’s learned from life. ing and rehabilitation science. “He ers who use business solutions to “I’m an engineer,” Cooper told told me, ‘Because if someone like Searching for a cure address a social problem or mis- a packed house in the William Pitt you won’t do it, why should I do “There’s always been this mis- SOCIAL sion, according to Audrey J. Mur- Union Assembly Room. “The it?’ Before that I didn’t realize it nomer about searching for a cure. rell, associate professor of business social entrepreneurial aspect of was a career option,” Cooper said. I’m not opposed to that, and as a ENTREPRENEURSHIP administration, psychology and what I do is to promote opportuni- “Most colleges, even Pitt when matter of fact at Paralyzed Vet- public and international affairs, ties for people with disabilities, to I first came here in 1993, had a erans of America we do research and director of the David Berg get people to change their percep- long-term plan for making their in that as well,” said Cooper, who Center for Ethics and Leadership tions about people with disabilities programs accessible. Those plans serves as Paralyzed Veterans of Senate plenary session looks in the Katz Graduate School of and to encourage other people, first talked about physical accessi- America Chair. Business. students particularly, to go out bility and then about testing acces- But the irony is that as science “We know that social entrepre- and carry that message,” he said. sibility. It took years, two decades advances in treating diseases, the at innovators, change-makers neurs really are individuals who “I’m not just a faculty member; I would say, before the plans began numbers of people categorized as are not just fueled by the desire there are a whole range of facets to talk about curriculum issues,” disabled grow, he said. cations environments to incorpo- for innovation, but for a particular to my life. That’s a problem that and how the curriculum should be “As an example, my own injury, rate people with disabilities into kind of innovation, innovation a lot of disabled people face: They inclusive for all students, he said. a spinal cord injury, was fatal up those environments,” he said. that creates change, that engages get pigeonholed: ‘He’s in a wheel- until World War II. Now it is “Instead of looking at disabili- people, that restarts, rebuilds chair’ and there are perceptions of “It takes a community.” considered a chronic condition, ties as impairments and functional and advances communities,” said what that means. I have a family. “You have to have critical mass with people reaching near-normal limitations, the key concept is that Murrell at this week’s University I’m married. I like to swim.” to change anything. If you’re there life spans,” Cooper said. disability is the interaction of the Senate plenary session. Regarding perceptions, he just by yourself, it’s a lot harder Similarly, multiple sclerosis, environment, an individual and “And social entrepreneurship recounted an anecdote of a would- to make progress. Once you get ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and other individuals in society. By is also in the academic world a be do-gooder who approached more people involved, once they AIDS have changed from being changing any one of those three valuable tool for learning, for him at a VA event, mistook him buy into the concept, they start considered fatal diseases to being pieces, we can reduce disability,” development, and a great labora- for an unemployed vet and offered carrying the message and things labeled chronic diseases. Cooper said. tory to test ideas, test theories, to buy him lunch. start to take off. So it takes a whole “People ask me, ‘Won’t a cure “So we don’t need to be cured test the knowledge we’re devel- The more the two conversed, team,” Cooper told the plenary put you out of business?’ Well, so or fixed. Disability has always been oping here as faculty across the the more their roles changed, session audience. far, every cure has created more part of our culture. We can change, campuses of the University,” said Cooper said. “He found out I “Our department has really business for me,” Cooper said. we can make accommodations and Murrell, who coordinated the was a college professor with a bought into the concept of pro- He noted the rise in disability we can change people’s attitudes.” Oct. 26 plenary session titled, PhD in electrical engineering. I moting careers and increasing rates is higher in industrialized “Social Entrepreneurship at Pitt: ended up giving him advice on opportunities for people with countries than in developing The 1990 ADA and beyond Innovators, Change-Makers and his family problems, and buying disabilities.” nations, although the data are “The ADA was landmark leg- Local Heroes.” him lunch. Everything is not what A quarter of the department’s skewed by the fact that people in islation. We hope that it will be “My goal is very simple — not it appears. That’s what we try to faculty and staff are people with developed countries have longer so engrained in American society only to expose you to the various teach people,” Cooper said. disabilities themselves, as are more life expectancies, and disabilities we don’t really need it any more. ways that social entrepreneur- “In the Army, I was in an elite than 15 percent of their students, increase as the population ages. We’re not to that point yet,” ship lives and breathes across the athlete program: I ran the 5,000 Cooper noted. Cooper chastised the U.S. gov- Cooper said. campus but to also produce in you and 10,000 meter events and I Funding also is important, ernment, as well as the University “But it has really helped. In my the fire for innovation that has a qualified for the Olympic trials both for research and clinical community, for insufficient efforts case, it’s helped promote my pro- true social impact,” said Murrell. in 1980 in the 5,000 meters. I support. to employ the disabled. fessional career, by letting me have The plenary session featured was injured a few months later,” The National Science Foun- “About 20 percent of Ameri- a career that spans the nation and a student presentation and a he recounted. dation (NSF) grant that funds cans in the working-age popula- across the world. Simple things we keynote speaker, followed by a “So running was a big part the Quality of Life Technology tion have some sort of disability don’t think about have helped me, panel discussion of Pitt faculty of my life and it’s actually what Engineering Research Center, a that affects a major part of their members from various schools. motivated me to start building joint effort of Pitt and Carnegie life. I’d like to point out that Provost Patricia Beeson offered wheelchairs. I wanted to achieve Mellon that Cooper co-directs, that’s not reflected in our faculty closing remarks. that feeling you get when you go provides funding for research and staff and that’s something we q fast. I didn’t want to be bound by and for tracking its impact in the need to work on in our society,” Building on his personal motto the wheelchair, but actually have clinical setting. Cooper said. that adversity creates opportu- it be liberating. So I started to “NSF brought in an educa- Only 0.88 percent of federal nity, one of the world’s foremost build my own wheelchairs so I tional development team. They employees are disabled, even authorities on wheelchair design could compete.” got us working with the School though the federal government discussed ways in which disabled And compete he has, in 25 of Education, which I hadn’t done has been required to have affirma- people can become fully inte- Veterans Wheelchair Games, before. I learned there’s a whole tive action plans for people with grated into society. winning four gold medals in the science of tracking outcomes, disabilities since 1973, he noted. Rory A. Cooper, distinguished 2008 games. tracking impact, that’s really “If 20 percent of working-age professor and chair in the Depart- But, Cooper acknowledged, helped us measure what we’re adults have a disability, why is it ment of Rehabilitation Science he had a great deal of help along doing and think about what we’re they are only 0.88 percent of the and Technology at the School of his career path. It was a disabled doing,” Cooper noted. workforce?” Health and Rehabilitation Sci- Army officer who convinced him He learned a few PR tricks This fact led President Obama ences (SHRS), was the keynote to go to college. “You’ll hear a as well, he said. “I learned from recently to sign an executive order speaker at Tuesday’s plenary lot of women and minorities say NSF if you mention the word requiring all federal agencies “to session, speaking on “Forging how important role models are. ‘robot’ you automatically get a create a plan on how they’re going New Freedoms for People With And this is true for people with lot of attention from the media. to improve those numbers to a Disabilities.” disabilities as well,” he said. If I’d have known that, I would ‘whopping’ 5 percent within the A decorated U.S. Army vet- When he first applied to have started calling wheelchairs next five years,” Cooper said. He eran, Cooper uses a wheelchair college, eventually enrolling in robots in the 1980s,” Cooper said. added that he helped convince as a result of a spinal cord injury California Polytechnic State Uni- The personal mobility manip- Allegheny County leaders also to sustained during military service. versity, it was before passage of the ulation robot that he designed set a 5 percent goal for employ- He began with a history lesson 1990 Americans With Disabilities was featured in a recent issue of ment of people with disabilities about how Howard Rusk, consid- Act (ADA). Popular Science as among the 10 in county jobs and in the city of ered the father of rehabilitation Nonetheless, well-meaning robots one would be most likely Pittsburgh. Cooper chairs the science, changed military policy faculty at his university wanted to find in the home. committee charged with develop- after World War II regarding to accommodate his disability, but “The best thing about that ing the county-wide plan. wounded soldiers. Cooper initially balked. “I was a [feature] is a lot more people, Instead of discharging such bit brash and I said, ‘I don’t like including teenagers, read Popular Models of disability soldiers and leaving them to fend that idea, because I’ll never get a Science than the Journal of Physi- SHRS offers a disabilities stud- for themselves, Cooper said, Rusk, job. I won’t be an engineer like the cal Medicine and Rehabilitation,” ies certificate, which attempts to who founded the Rusk Institute of other students graduating from Cooper said. Readers see the move the model of disability from Rehabilitation Medicine in 1950, this program.’” connection between robotics and a medical one to a social integra- strongly encouraged the military It was then the insight struck helping people with disabilities tion one, Cooper noted. to keep wounded soldiers on active one of Cooper’s teachers: This and older adults, he said. “When you think about chang- duty, to retrain them and help really was an engineering prob- “Young people are interested ing people’s perceptions from a make them productive members lem. “My teacher said, ‘We just in how to figure out how to help medical model — you think that of society before discharge. need to figure out how to modify people. I think that’s why bioengi- I’m a person who is sick, that we “That concept is one of the the environment to be compatible neering is one of our most popular need a cure — moving to a social things that helped the Greatest to Rory,’ and he worked every majors here at the University integration model where disability Generation to have very high semester to modify the environ- and that’s true of rehabilitation is merely part of the society, we employment among their vet- ment for me and he did that for science.” need to make adaptations both in erans with disabilities,” he said. others as well,” Cooper said. Those majors are attracting our attitudes and in our physical, The current generation has not He said that has been a driv- women and minorities as well as our electronic and our communi-

8 OCTOBER 28, 2010

s part of the Senate’s Miller noted, is that social entre- they ended up with big buildings capital that occurs with such coop- plenary session, School preneurship often starts with an and lots of overhead and infra- eration “is where one of the big Aof Social Work faculty individual whereas other sorts structure that they had to spend opportunities is for a university.” member and continuing education of entrepreneurial ventures usu- a lot of their time raising money Dugan said she’s seeing a director Tracy Soska moderated ally are grounded in a team. “It’s for. All of a sudden repairing the rebirth of the 1960s “question a panel discussion, posing ques- intriguing that you have some roof or the air conditioner became everything” attitude. “We’ve had tions to Max F. Miller, director people who have a real passion more important than their mis- some massive failures in things SOCIALof the law school’s Innovation around an issue or need — it’s sion,” Dugan said. we thought were going to be Practice Institute; Laura Atkinson one person usually — and then She noted there are many there when we needed them,” she ENTREPRENEURSHIP Schaefer, deputy director of the you have to build people around needs and many good ideas, but said, citing FEMA in Hurricane Mascaro Center for Sustainable it,” he said. “How do you scale a constant struggle as to who will Katrina or the recent oil spill in Innovation and faculty member passion?” he asked. “If there’s fund them. the Gulf of Mexico. “The agen- in the Department of Mechanical one person who’s passionate Schaefer agreed that money cies and the things we thought Senate plenary session looks Engineering and Materials Sci- about a matter, how do you build can be a big factor, not only in government was doing to protect ence, and Ann Dugan, assistant something around it that’s going sustaining an enterprise, but in us weren’t really up to par.” dean and director of the Institute to make it big?” getting the capital to move it Such turmoil presents a time of at innovators, change-makers for Entrepreneurship Excellence Schaefer agreed, adding that forward at the outset. “If you’re opportunity, she said. Students see in the graduate and undergraduate typically it’s easier to get inves- interested in starting a for-profit that jobs aren’t plentiful and ask like having rental cars with hand schools of business. tors interested in a technology or business, there are plenty of how they can deploy their passions controls, accessible hotel rooms, tangible product that has visible roadmaps out there. There are and interests in making the cur- ramps into building. But the atti- What constitutes social entre- results. In contrast, with social shelves after shelves of books in rent systems better. “A lot of the tudinal barriers are the toughest preneurship? entrepreneurship, it’s often the the library about how to start a students I see who are interested to break,” he said. Dugan said, “I view entre- charisma, enthusiasm and drive business, there’s accounting, there in social entrepreneurship are U.S.A. Swimming, the national preneurs as those who see an of the entrepreneur that gets the are venture capital fairs, there looking at government, looking at governing body of competitive opportunity, are able to garner enterprise off the ground, she said. are avenues for people to pursue. the other nonprofits and saying, swimming, four years ago decided resources and take advantage of Dugan said social entrepre- If you’re interested in starting a ‘You know they’ve been working to open all swimming competi- that opportunity to create some- neurship sprung from successful business where the goal is not to at this for 20 or 30 years and it’s tions to everybody, including dis- thing that wasn’t there before, or businesspeople. “You had a lot of profit but the good that you can do intractable, and nothing’s happen- abled swimmers, Cooper noted. improve upon something that was individuals, successful entrepre- society, it’s much harder to make ing. Let’s take a look at it in a new “It changed people’s attitudes. there. Social entrepreneurship, in neurs in many cases who had sold those initial contacts to start up way,’” Dugan said. “I think that’s When you swim side by side you my mind, is not anything different. other businesses and had great that type of enterprise.” part of the beauty of being in the get to know each other, and one It’s just what is the outcome and wealth and created foundations There’s also the question of University environment. This is of the best ways to learn about how is it going to be measured? and other kinds of activities that familial and societal support. “Is the time to start to think about people with disabilities is get to I really look at it as just another morphed into this idea of social what you’re doing something that these things and do these things know someone with a disability,” important form of entrepreneurial entrepreneurship,” she said. “Part your family, your society values? in a new way.” he said. behavior,” she said. of it was very well meaning, aiming Is it something you’re going to “We need to figure out how Schaefer said engineers often to make nonprofits efficient and get support from your immediate What roles and responsibilities to create a community of people are stereotyped as money-moti- deliver what markets want and network for pursuing?” she asked. should the University have in with and without disabilities to live vated Dilberts, but many of her move toward appropriately pric- Miller said he sees a shift in the promoting social entrepreneur- together. Essentially, you have to colleagues and students went into ing products and services. They student mindset toward wanting ship? create a culture of acceptance, that engineering because they want to found that just doesn’t work when to find where doing good and Dugan said the Institute for disability is not something unusual make a difference in the world and your customer base looks a lot dif- making money intersect. “Therein Entrepreneurial Excellence and or something special, it’s just part found their knowledge of science ferent than a customer who buys lies the challenge: to make what similar organizations are impor- of the society. How do we work and technology to be the key to a product or service from another they’re doing relevant,” he said. tant in that they provide experien- together, what do we need to let achieving that goal. type of entrepreneurial venture.” “Relevance is the challenge.” tial learning outside the classroom everybody succeed? We start by Some ultimately may pursue In the nonprofit field today, to help students consider the areas making all of our activities and more traditionally lucrative engi- there’s debate about how social Is the movement growing on in which their new ideas can make events be fully inclusive.” neering positions, but the entre- entrepreneurship really works, campus? a difference. “I think encouraging —Peter Hart n preneurs often end up making both in competing with the pri- Schaefer said she definitely sees students to think in different ways money as well, even though their vate sector for nonprofit dollars this movement growing within the … is an important part of their motivation was to make a positive and in serving people who may University. Citing a recent New classroom experience.” change, she said. have deep disadvantages, she Yorker piece by Malcolm Gladwell Miller said cross-disciplinary Miller agreed, adding that the said. “I think the whole field of about the shift between capital and activities benefit students. He also Left, plenary social entrepreneurs he’s known social entrepreneurship is moving talent, she said today it’s expected noted that in addition to nuts- session key- have their fingers on the pulse forward in trying to create the that talent such as ball players and-bolts curricular elements, note speaker Rory Cooper. of a societal need. “They engage balance between the two business or CEOs will receive exorbitant the law school aims to equip its in that pulse-taking by attracting activities,” Dugan added. salaries. “But even 50 years ago students with the ability to survey Below, panel- resources to it.” it wasn’t that way. People were a landscape to recognize areas of ists, from left, Max Miller, There can be a stigma that How to define and evaluate suc- paid more modest salaries and it opportunity. “It’s a competitive job Laura Atkinson sometimes prevents social ven- cess in social ventures? was assumed that the capital had market. I tell students all the time Schaefer and Ann Dugan. tures from attracting human and Schaefer said environmental everyone’s best interest at heart that the quarterback always throws financial capital and resources, he impact is the one main tenet of and the talent couldn’t ask for to the spot where the receiver’s said. “But I think the good social sustainability that’s well known, what it really deserved,” she said. going to be. … The receiver entrepreneurs identify need that’s but sustainability also involves “The problem with the capital goes to the open spot, not to the societal, but that they can actually promoting social equity and being in charge was there was a crowded spot. The marketplace create an infrastructure around delivering products or services sort of paternalism in the system. is the same way. The only way that capital markets and others economically. “It’s the economi- But the problem we see now you know where it’s not crowded will react to.” cally feasible fashion that people with the talent being in charge is is to have spent some time being tend to fix on because a dollar is that there’s greed in the system,” a student of a particular market.” What are the challenges in dif- something you can very easily look Schaefer said. Schaefer agreed that it’s impor- ferentiating entrepreneurship at in the plus or minus column.” Do we just move toward ever- tant to educate students about as a social enterprise from a Dugan cited management con- increasing greed or is there a shift market opportunities. “It’s also business enterprise? sultant Peter Drucker’s tenet that beyond this? Gladwell asked. important to provide mentor-

Photos by Mike Drazdzinski/CIDDE One challenging dynamic, a nonprofit’s mission is to improve Demanding appropriate com- ship to the students that there lives. In such circles, while some pensation doesn’t just apply to a are alternate options for them.” numbers may be necessary to monetary point of view, Schaefer Engineering’s co-op and career fulfill grant requirements or count said. “People realize they have a services programs are dominant in constituents, “Metrics are usually societal obligation. Pursuing the the school, but she also sees growth not hardcore numbers,” she said. societal obligation may be the next in less traditional paths — product “In general it has to be a much shift we see among this talent pool. innovation classes and the use of more qualitative review of how I think the young people, among affiliated facilities, for instance. we improve lives by what we’re the students, is where we first see Groups such as Engineers for a doing in social entrepreneurship.” this shift occurring. I certainly see Sustainable World and Engineers it in my own students.” Without Borders provide support What are the challenges? Miller added that college is the for students who want to pursue Dugan said there are many place where students — especially social goals, and she sees faculty passionate, well-meaning people those considering entrepreneur- mentoring students in pursuing who want others to buy into their ship — begin to figure out who outside funding opportunities vision. But the question comes they are and where they fit in. to support their entrepreneurial down to who will pay for it. In “Universities are all recognizing ideas. a time of increasing competition experiential learning. … Now it’s a “Faculty and administration for government, foundation and matter of who executes it best and have to play a very active role in philanthropic dollars, “It becomes who makes it part of their culture. letting students know about these a smaller and smaller pie with “That’s clearly happening opportunities,” she said. larger and larger needs,” she said. here,” he said, adding that that “Many nonprofits lost their collaboration between schools Are there conflict-of-interest way from their mission because and an aggregation of intellectual CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

9 U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES $4 million more approved for capital budget Pitt earns 33 patents rustees last week gave and Sciences reserves for renova- as part of a project funded by the CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 final approval to the addi- tions in . The project National Institute for Standards it to the market as products is nology transfer are on the horizon. Ttion of $4 million to the will renovate about 5,300 square and Technology that will expand another measure. The National Institutes of fiscal year 2011 capital budget feet of former library space on the research labs in the mid-campus Looking at other economic Health, the National Science for three Pittsburgh campus building’s second floor to house complex. development metrics figures into Foundation and the White House projects. The additional funding new synthetic and spectroscopy The remainder of the $4 mil- the picture: counting jobs created, Office of Science and Technology was recommended by the trustees lab suites for physical chemistry lion in additional capital budget venture capital dollars leveraged Policy have launched the STAR budget committee Oct. 20. research in nanomaterials. funding is needed to cover or the types of businesses an insti- METRICS (Science and Technol- In August, the property and Some of the space will be changes in the cost and scope of tution partners with, Malandro ogy for America’s Reinvestment: facilities committee approved reserved for a new nanoscience renovation projects at the former noted. Measuring the Effect of Research all three projects, as well as four faculty member in the Depart- Concordia Club and the Chevron Malandro noted that one-time on Innovation, Competitiveness other capital projects and one ment of Chemistry. Science Center. events or blockbuster innovations and Science) initiative to better lease renewal. (See Sept. 2 Uni- The project also includes The board approved an can skew a single-year’s results, document the value of federal versity Times.) renovations to the chemistry increase of about $450,000 for making it important to collect investments in research and The total cost of the three electronics shop on the third floor the Concordia Club renovations, information over time. development. (For information, capital projects is $14 million, of Eberly Hall. The renovation bringing the total project to $5.8 Three-five years’ worth of see www.nih.gov/news/health/ of which $10 million previously of 1,500 square feet of space will million, and an extra $150,000 data will add to the value of the jun2010/od-01.htm.) had been approved by the budget permit the consolidation of the for the metrics as an accurate measure of q committee. chemistry and physics electron- 5th floor renovation, bringing impact, he said. OTM’s 2010 annual report is Specifically, the Board of ics shops. the total project to $4.85 million. Better metrics to more accu- available for download at www. Trustees approved $3.4 million The physics electronics shop is —Kimberly K. Barlow rately gauge universities’ broader otm.pitt.edu. n in funding from School of Arts being relocated from Allen Hall & Peter Hart impact and the efficiency of tech- —Kimberly K. Barlow n SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 risks in public-private partner- are considered, as is service, she begin to write a business plan and students may draw a greater feel- professors with one or more ships? said. “But a lot of faculty who start a business,” in addition to ing of success from doing things adjuncts in the same practice area Miller noted that new legal pursue these social ventures are being educated in the classroom. good for society rather than from for co-teaching in order to expose entities such as the L3C (low- doing so strictly on their own time, She noted that graduating pursuing a secure position with a students to real-world contexts profit limited liability company) knowing that they’re taking a risk students who worked with IEE large company. for the subjects as well as to give are emerging in response to the in decreasing their productivity in got great jobs last year, despite the “How can we optimize this students the chance to interact need for a business entity that areas the University values.” tough economy and stiff competi- social shift in the economy and with experts practicing in the field. bridges for-profit and non-profit The cascading effect is that tion. “The reward for students is in life’s expectations based on the q structures. (L3Cs run like regular they’re also teaching the students there if they reach out.” way in which we address what Provost Patricia E. Beeson businesses, but their main goal is a what is and isn’t valued, Schaefer For faculty, Schaefer said, we do for our faculty and for our wrapped up the plenary session social benefit rather than profit.) said. “If you have more of a rec- “We need to teach people how to educational programs for the by touching on several things she As to the question of public ognition or metric in place — if translate their social experiences students?” he asked. learned during the presentations. and private dollars combining, “Is something that matters for your and social ventures into rewards Schaefer said, with regard to “One thing I didn’t know was it really a conflict or is it really a annual evaluation, for the way that are recognized in the current faculty assessment, that time will really the scope of the different matter of how you allocate and you get a raise … is how you’re system. For example, how to take help overcome some of the issues. sorts of activities that happen manage the funds so that every- impacting society, how you’re their outreach in the community “A lot of the junior faculty who are not just at the University but body’s clear where it’s coming impacting your community, then and translate that into an article, coming in with innovative ideas out there in the community that from and that you can track, and I would think we’d see more of a engineering education or engi- and social responsibility still also one might consider to be social that the mission is still the same? propagation of those types of goals neering application that could know how to play the game to get entrepreneurship. “People are starting to real- in the University.” help their publication record. tenure,” she said. “As they advance “It’s not just doing good and ize there are these huge societal Dugan said faculty are the To bring the lessons from that to the tenured stage, they begin it’s not just nonprofits — there’s benefits but there’s also a very big thought leaders for the students community outreach into the to bring their own principles of a whole range of activities that fall financial upside for somebody who entrusted to them and it’s vital to classroom, which will also help recognition of what a good faculty under this large umbrella of social invests in infrastructure,” he said. have faculty champion such activi- inspire students as well. How to member is in their evaluation of entrepreneurship,” Beeson said. “You’re going to see the attrac- ties on campus. Adding incentives use the fact that they have a [plat- their junior colleagues.” “I also didn’t know the many tion of capital that’s coming from would make faculty more willing, form for experiments] to gather To speed the shift in values, different ways in which our faculty both directions. The legal struc- she agreed. more research funding for societal “We need to look beyond what and our staff and our students are tures haven’t quite caught up with Miller cited interest in elder work,” she said. most universities are doing,” she using their knowledge, using their it but I think that people’s mindsets law and health law as evidence “I think that it’s going to be said. “Stop being just traditional research skills and using their are starting to wrap around that there is interest in the law school very difficult to set up any sort in our evaluations for tenure and passion for a social issue to really there’s going to be a line that’s for addressing societal concerns of reward that directly relates to promotion and recognize that put- make a positive difference in the blurring.” and serving underserved people. their volunteerism or their societal ting more value on filing patents, world,” she said. Schaefer agreed, “There’s a lot “We’re doing a lot of it already. leadership,” but being able to help putting more value on improving “What struck me was the way of catching up we still need to do.” The notion of preserving justice young faculty in particular learn to our communities, is something in which a social passion can really Accrediting organizations require in certain communities has always use their good work to help their that the University should be in the drive learning — which is what we engineering schools to include an been prevalent at the school,” he career is a necessary step, she said. business of doing and that faculty do in a university. It, in the case ethical component for students, said. In the broader view, Miller should be recognized for that.” of [entrepreneurial engineering but fulfilling that remains very “What we can work on, when said, how we structure the supply For students, Dugan said, student Micah Toll], drove him traditional: “Don’t build a bridge we start shifting toward entrepre- chain impacts how the market being entrepreneurial as they to learn more about the tools and that will fall down, that type of neurship in a business sense, is in views us: The University is sup- enter the workforce will be criti- techniques that he would need to thing,” she said. “We don’t really having scholarship that is in the plying valuable intellectual capital cal, not only when interviewing build the green bicycle that he’s talk about the emerging issues and area.” The law school has some to the marketplace and it needs “to but also in retaining a position in riding around campus and that how that interaction between soci- top scholars. “It’s just a matter of make sure we’re the best supplier an atmosphere where womb-to- he’s going to have us all on before etal benefits and profit and politi- showing that we’re thought lead- there is,” he said. tomb jobs are no more. long. And the way it drove Rory cal issues all interact together. But ers,” he said, adding that students q Miller said one model being [Cooper] to make the wheelchairs that’s something that students are can help think through new issues University Senate President explored in the law school pairs and develop the educational pro- going to encounter very soon after such as the relevance of privacy in Michael Pinsky said he sees a grams and really send out a full they graduate in a lot of cases. I an era of social media or issues of disconnect between the fact that enterprise around an issue that think we need to do a better job intellectual property rights. “How universities by nature should matters to him and that matters in addressing that.” should we be shaping people’s be on the cutting edge and the to all of us,” Beeson said. thinking about that?” traditional ways in which the Touching on an issue raised How can faculty and student institutions view education and during the panel discussion about work in this area be encour- What rewards might drive promote faculty. how to recognize and foster social aged? scholarship in this area? Junior faculty, he said, may be entrepreneurship on campus, she Regarding faculty work, Schae- “The reward for students is the biggest casualty. “They come said, “I think a lot of those ques- fer said, “I don’t think there’s really tenfold for the experience while to us with the ideas, with the inno- tions about how do we reward it recognition or a reward structure they’re here,” Dugan said, noting vations, with the idealism. And we and how do we promote it at the in place for faculty who pursue that opportunities such as the don’t want to mug them too much University are ones that have to societally responsible ventures. If entrepreneurship dorm floor are with the concept of what it takes center on that issue: How do we you look at how faculty are evalu- popular. to get tenure because then they’re take the passions that we have — ated for tenure, for advancement “Entrepreneurship happens at not going to be the mentors that be they social passions or other to full professor, to getting a chair the cusp of disciplines,” she said, they need to be.” — and turn those into learning position, it’s still a very traditional adding that one difficulty is that Pinsky noted that traditional and research activities, which is evaluation of papers, funding and students arrive lacking experience jobs in which workers are guar- what the University is so very students produced.” Some entre- and knowledge. “Students really anteed an income and a steady good at doing.” preneurial aspects, such as patents, need to do things before they position are disappearing and that Provost Patricia Beeson Mike Drazdzinksi/CIDDE —Kimberly K. Barlow n

10 OCTOBER 28, 2010

R E S E A R C H N O T E S The University Times Research support life. Notes column reports on funding One type of the corn-based Foreclosure as Crafton Heights and Brighton Which plastic awarded to Pitt researchers and on polyhydroyalkanoate topped the findings arising from University acidification category. In addi- picture here Heights had a rate of 1.4 percent. is greenest? research. not all good Recent reports of problematic An analysis of plant and petro- We welcome submissions from tion, biopolymers exceeded most Despite claims of Pittsburgh’s foreclosure processes resulting in leum-derived plastics suggests that all areas of the University. Submit of the petroleum-based polymers relative immunity to the most wrongful seizures and evictions biopolymers are not necessarily information via email to: utimes@ for ecotoxicity and carcinogen pitt.edu, by fax to 412/624-4579 emissions. recent financial and real estate have highlighted the influence better for the environment than or by campus mail to 308 Belle- crunch, certain city neighbor- financial institutions can have on their petroleum-based relatives, field Hall. Once in use, however, biopoly- hoods have racked up foreclosure real estate markets, Briem said. As according to a report by a team For submission guidelines, mers bested traditional polymers rates far above the state average, an extension of that, large numbers of Pitt researchers published in visit www.utimes.pitt.edu/?page_ for ecofriendliness. For example, a tally by the University Center of properties owned by financial Environmental Science & Tech- id=6807. the sugar-based PLA-NW plastic for Social and Urban Research institutions can have significant nology. The researchers found jumped from the sixth position (UCSUR) revealed. These prop- repercussions for an area — fore- that while biopolymers are the environmental and health effects under the LCA to become the erties often languish on the books closed properties often sell cheap more eco-friendly material, tra- of the energy, raw materials and material most in keeping with the of financial institutions or are or stand vacant. ditional plastics can be less taxing chemicals used to create one standards of green design. On the offloaded for less than market The average price of the 628 environmentally to produce. ounce of plastic pellets. They then other hand, the ubiquitous plastic value, two circumstances that can Pittsburgh homes sold by a finan- Biopolymers trumped the checked each plastic in its finished polypropylene widely used in speed a neighborhood’s deteriora- cial institution from January 2009 other plastics for biodegradability, form against principles of green packaging was the cleanest poly- tion. through January 2010 was less low toxicity and use of renewable design, including biodegradabil- mer to produce, but sank to ninth Sabina Deitrick, director of than $20,000. resources. But the farming and ity, energy efficiency, wastefulness place as a sustainable material. UCSUR’s urban analysis pro- Moreover, 40 percent of those chemical processing needed to and toxicity. The researchers found that the gram, and Christopher Briem, homes were located in just 10 produce them can devour energy A graph of the LCA results petroleum-plant hybrid biopoly- a regional economist at UCSUR, neighborhoods. In Beechview, and dump fertilizers and pesticides and a chart ranking the polymers ethylene terephthalate, or B-PET, matched city foreclosure filings which had the highest number into the environment, wrote lead by ecofriendliness are avail- combines the ills of agriculture with assessment records from of REO houses, 26 homes sold author Michaelangelo Tabone, able at www.news.pitt.edu/news/ with the structural stubbornness the Allegheny County Depart- for an average of 37 percent less who conducted the analysis as an Landis_polymers_LCA. of standard plastic to be harmful ment of Real Estate to determine than their assessed value. Those undergraduate student in the lab of Biopolymers were among the to produce (12th) and use (8th). the location of real estate owned same 10 neighborhoods also civil and environmental engineer- more prolific polluters on the path Landis is continuing the proj- (REO) properties — those held by contained 40 percent of the 521 ing faculty member Amy Landis. to production, the LCA revealed. ect by subjecting the polymers to a bank or financial institution. The Pittsburgh homes owned by a Tabone and Landis worked with The team attributed this to agri- a full LCA, which also will exam- results can be found in the current financial institution in January undergraduate chemistry student cultural fertilizers and pesticides, ine the materials’ environmental issue of UCSUR’s Pittsburgh 2010 — Beechview led with 29 James Cregg and Eric Beckman, extensive land use for farming impact throughout their use and Economic Quarterly, available at properties — meaning several co-director of Pitt’s Mascaro and the intense chemical pro- eventual disposal. www.ucsur.pitt.edu/peq.php. more below-market sales in these Center for Sustainable Innovation cessing needed to convert plants During 2008 and 2009, the areas are likely. and the George M. Bevier Profes- into plastic. All four biopolymers Pharmacist statewide foreclosure rate was Fifteen banks do the majority sor of Chemical and Petroleum were the largest contributors to advocate model 0.7 percent — the 33rd lowest of seizing and selling in Pittsburgh. Engineering. The project was ozone depletion. Sugar-derived piloted rate in the nation. In Pittsburgh’s This group held 60 percent of the supported by the National Science polymers — standard polylactic The Jewish Healthcare Foun- Sheraden neighborhood, on the 717 REO homes in Pittsburgh in Foundation. acid and the type manufactured by dation has approved a $93,500 other hand, 117 foreclosures May 2010. The leading holders The researchers examined 12 Minnesota-based NatureWorks grant to the School of Pharmacy during those two years put the were Fannie Mae (9 percent), the plastics — seven petroleum-based (PLA-NW), the most common for a one-year demonstration rate at 2.2 percent, followed by Veterans Affairs Administration polymers, four biopolymers and sugar-based plastic in the United project titled “Pharmacists as Knoxville with 1.7 percent and (7 percent), U.S. Bank National one hybrid. The team first per- States — exhibited the maximum Advocates in Care Transitions.” Marshall-Shadeland with 1.6 Association (6 percent), Bank of formed a life-cycle assessment contribution to eutrophication, This project aims to develop, percent. Even some of the city’s New York Mellon (6 percent) and (LCA) on each polymer’s pre- which occurs when overfertilized more stable neighborhoods such Wells Fargo Bank (5 percent). production stage to gauge the bodies of water no longer can CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

11 U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES

R E S E A R C H N O T E S said: “Although the field is excited correct chromosome number about the promise of tenofovir gel is maintained, explained senior CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 as a vaginal microbicide, there author Judith Yanowitz, a faculty implement and assess a model of cancer screenings between May interest in skin cancer screenings, is a series of steps that must be member in obstetrics, gynecology care that incorporates a pharma- and October 2009. Participants there currently are no universally taken before we can even con- and reproductive sciences and a cist advocate in the care transi- completed a 12-question survey accepted guidelines for when sider whether the gel is equally member of the Magee-Womens tion team. This new model will with information about demo- people should have their first promising for preventing HIV Research Institute (MWRI). focus on empowering patients graphic factors, risk factors for screening and how often they transmitted through receptive “When germ cells form, seg- to manage their medications and melanoma and reasons for seeking should be screened,” said Ferris. anal intercourse. First, we must ments of DNA are exchanged, health effectively once discharged skin cancer screenings. “We believe that there needs to determine that it’s safe to use or recombined, between mater- from the hospital. The ultimate Of the 487 patients surveyed, be better communication with rectally, which is why we are nal and paternal chromosomes, goal is to prevent hospital read- more than 80 percent made an the public in the form of specific conducting this trial.” leading to greater diversity in the missions. appointment for screening with- guidelines with an emphasis on The study will enroll 60 men daughter cells,” she said. “Our The principal investigators out a particular skin lesion that encouraging screening of older and women across three MTN- research reveals a protein that of this project are Dean Patri- concerned them. In addition, men, which could allow us to affiliated U.S. sites: Pitt; the Uni- plays a key role in choosing where cia Kroboth and Kim Coley, patients younger than 50 were reach those patients who would versity of Alabama-Birmingham, those crossovers occur.” faculty member in pharmacy and more likely to seek screening most benefit from skin cancer and Fenway Health in Boston. Crossing over is essential for therapeutics. because of a family history of screening.” It aims to determine if rectal the correct movement, or segre- Other individuals involved in melanoma, and men 50 years or use of tenofovir gel is safe and, gation, of chromosomes into the this project are faculty members older were more likely than other in particular, does not cause cells germ cells. Failure to exchange Rima Mohammad, Amy Donihi, groups to seek screening because Study tests in the rectum to become more DNA properly can lead to off- Rafael Saenz, Amy Seybert and they had a previous skin cancer anal safety of vulnerable to HIV than they spring with the wrong number of Deanne Hall, and Jennifer Kim, diagnosis. anti-HIV gel already are. The study also will chromosomes. In humans, defects a School of Pharmacy resident. The most common reason for School of Medicine research- help to determine whether men in this process are a leading cause seeking skin cancer screening was ers are testing tenofovir gel, a vagi- and women would be willing to of infertility, Yanowitz noted. a personal history of skin cancer, nal microbicide that has shown use a rectal microbicide. The team studied the genome Reasons for followed by concern about sun promise for preventing HIV In addition, researchers are of the tiny roundworm C. elegans, melanoma exposure and a family history of through vaginal sex, to determine hoping to identify biological in which gene recombination screening vary non-melanoma skin cancer. its safety and acceptability when markers — specific proteins or typically occurs toward the ends Women are more likely to seek “A large percentage of patients, used rectally. biochemical activity — that can of the chromosomes, which con- skin cancer screenings because of more than 72 percent of them, The multi-center trial study, be used to better assess the poten- tain fewer genes. But crossovers a worrisome skin lesion, a family believe that skin cancer screenings led by the National Institutes of tial safety of different candidate instead occurred in the gene-rich history of skin cancer or concern have been shown to prevent skin Health (NIH)-funded Microbi- microbicides before they are central areas of the chromosomes about sun exposure, whereas men cancer, a belief that is inaccurate cide Trials Network (MTN), will tested in humans. in worms that had a mutation in a age 50 and older — a group at and without scientific basis,” said help determine if the gel should be The site co-leader is Ian protein called X non-disjunction highest risk for melanoma — may Ferris. “Also, almost 90 percent evaluated further for its potential McGowan, faculty member in factor (xnd-1). In addition, cross- seek screenings only after a previ- of these same respondents cor- to prevent HIV among men and the Division of Gastroenterol- overs on the X chromosome often ous skin cancer diagnosis, accord- rectly believe that skin cancer women who engage in receptive ogy, Hepatology and Nutrition did not occur in these worms. ing to researchers at the School of screenings can reduce the risk of anal intercourse. and co-principal investigator of “This is the first gene in any Medicine, whose findings appear death from skin cancer, and they While condoms generally are the MTN, which is based at Pitt system that is specifically required in the October edition of Archives viewed skin cancer screenings as effective for protecting against and the Magee-Womens Research for the segregation of single of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/ equally valuable as colonoscopy, HIV and other sexually transmit- Institute. chromosomes,” she said. “The Archives journals. mammography and Pap smears in ted infections, most acts of anal fact that this is the X chromo- Dermatology faculty member preventing cancer-related death.” sex go unprotected. Moreover, some is interesting because the Laura Korb Ferris, correspond- In the United States, mela- the risk of acquiring HIV through DNA exchange sex chromosomes play a unique ing author on the study, said, noma, the deadliest form of skin unprotected anal sex is at least 20 regulator found role both in germ line and general “Interestingly, the patients seek- cancer, was diagnosed in more times greater than unprotected A team led by a scientist at the development.” ing skin cancer screenings are not than 62,000 people in 2008, and vaginal sex and increases if other School of Medicine has discovered These observations led the necessarily the patients who are at almost 8,500 died of the disease infections are present in the rectal a regulatory protein that influ- researchers to suggest that xnd-1 the highest risk for developing or that same year. Other skin cancers, lining. ences where genetic material gets affects the way chromosomes are dying from melanoma.” such as basal and squamous cell Ross Cranston, a faculty swapped between maternal and packaged into the nucleus of the Researchers surveyed patients carcinomas, are more prevalent, member in the medical school’s paternal chromosomes during cell as a DNA protein complex over the age of 18 who were seen but rarely fatal. Division of Infectious Diseases the process of creating eggs and known as chromatin. at a dermatologist’s office for skin “While patients show great and leader of the Pitt study site, sperm. They further showed xnd-1 The findings, which shed light alters a component of chromatin on the roots of chromosomal that has been maintained through errors and gene diversity, were species evolution and that this published in Nature. packaging is directly responsible Most cells contain 46 chro- for the effects on crossover for- mosomes, half coming from mation. each parent. But eggs and sperm, The research was funded by known as germ cells, have half the National Institutes of Health, as many so that when they com- MWRI and the Carnegie Institu- bine to form an embryo, the tion of Washington. n

12 OCTOBER 28, 2010

Associate professor of English film about police surveillance of Eric Otto Clarke died Oct. 10, Eric Otto Clarke gay men.” 2010, in his home. He An Oct. 17 memorial service was 46. The death was ruled acci- and human rights at Columbia ality studies titled Sexuality and for Clarke was held at Phipps dental, according to the Allegh- University. He was awarded a Representation. Other courses Conservatory. eny County Medical Examiner’s Rockefeller Residency Fellowship he taught included the graduate Clarke is survived by his Office. at the Center for Lesbian and Gay seminars 19th-Century British mother, Gerri Johnson; brothers Clarke joined the Pitt faculty Studies at the Graduate Center, Novel, Institutions of Literature Jeff Clarke and William Melnik; in 1992 as an assistant professor. City University of New York, in and Introduction to Modern nieces Karen Melnik and Jennifer He was promoted to associate 1998-99. The book he completed Critical Practice, and the under- Clarke, and nephews Nicholas professor in 1998. Prior to coming that year, “Virtuous Vice: Homo- graduate courses The Victorian Melnik and John Clarke. to the University, he taught for eroticism and the Public Sphere,” Novel, Introduction to Popular —Peter Hart n a year at the University of New published by Duke University Culture, Introduction to Critical Hampshire. Press, was an interdisciplinary Reading and 19th-Century British A native of Washington state, study examining the effects of Literature. Levine service set Clarke received a BA in English in queer inclusion in public culture. He also taught courses in con- A memorial service for 1986 from the University of Puget According to English depart- junction with the cultural studies Ruth Eleanor Levine will be Sound, graduating cum laude. He ment chair John Twyning, Clarke’s and women’s studies programs. held at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in earned his MA in 1988 and PhD book has been praised by reviewers He was a faculty associate at the . in 1991 from Brown University. in gay and lesbian studies, cultural be published by the journal. Center for West European Stud- Levine, who died Oct. Colleagues said that Clarke studies and political science, and it In recent years, he had been ies and the Center for Social and 18 at age 74, was the wife of was an innovative scholar in 19th- brought together British Roman- at work on two book-length proj- Urban Research. Arthur S. Levine, senior vice century British literary studies and tic culture, U.S. popular culture ects: “What the Novel Knows,” Twyning said, “Eric was active chancellor for Health Sciences sexuality studies. He published and philosophy — the Kantian a study of George Eliot, and as a commentator on queer culture and dean of the School of articles on Georg Wilhelm Fried- tradition, represented especially “Lifestyles: Investigations of Gay and politics and a mentor to gay Medicine. rich Hegel, Immanuel Kant, Percy by Jürgen Habermas. Modernity.” and lesbian students. He was inter- A reception in the Hall Bysshe Shelley, queer theory and Clarke served as an advisory Within the English depart- viewed for a Chicago public radio of Architecture of Carnegie contemporary film. editor and writer for boundary 2, ment, Clarke served as director program on ‘Living Gay’ in 2004, Museum of Natural History In 1998, Clarke was a visiting an international journal of litera- of graduate studies, 2001-06. He and he was part of a panel discus- will follow the memorial ser- scholar at the program for the ture and culture, 1996-2008. His developed a popular course for sion here in Pittsburgh in 2007 vice. n study of sexuality, gender, health last essay, “Kant’s Kiss,” soon will the English department in sexu- about ‘Tearoom,’ a documentary

P E O P L E O F T H E T I M E S

Linda Frank, a faculty member tions to maximize resources for official who evaluated veterans local AMVETS “Sharing and in advancing the understanding in the Depart- Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural for benefits eligibility. Caring” program to benefit hos- of ground control technologies ment of Infec- residents. In part, it sponsors Kreiling has served in many pitalized veterans. or approaches by either publica- tious Diseases research projects, collects data roles for AMVETS, including: • Organizer for the local tion or direct applications in the and Microbiol- on trends in rural Pennsylvania • President of the AMVETS AMVETS boat ride for disabled mining industry. ogy, Graduate and publishes information and Ladies Auxiliary Post 60, where veterans. Iannacchione is the principal School of Public research results about diverse she oversaw a drive resulting in a investigator on a two-year state Health (GSPH), people and communities in rural 10-fold increase in membership. Anthony Iannacchione, a contract to examine land disrup- has been desig- Pennsylvania. • Sergeant-at-arms of the faculty member in the Depart- tions, structural damage and water nated as a fellow of the American AMVETS National Ladies Aux- ment of Civil and Environmental source impairments in areas where Academy of Nursing (AAN). Delia Kreiling, recently iliary. Engineering and director of the mining has occurred. Frank is principal investigator retired staff member in the Office • Past department president mining engineering program at Iannacchione has participated and project director of the Penn- of Veterans Services, was elected and legislative liaison for the the Swanson School of Engineer- on numerous scientific advisory sylvania and Mid-Atlantic AIDS president of the American Veter- Pennsylvania chapter of the ing, is the 2010 recipient of the committees. Most recently, he Education and Training Center. ans (AMVETS) National Ladies AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary. Syd S. Peng Ground Control in has served on several National As a nursing professional who Auxiliary for 2010-11. • Member of the National Mining Award. Science Foundation committees combines clinical practice with A 44-year Pitt employee, Kreil- AMVETS committee for home- The award recognizes indi- associated with the Deep Under- leadership in policy, education, ing served as the U.S. Department less veterans in Pennsylvania. viduals who have demonstrated ground Science and Engineering professional services and scholarly of Veterans Affairs certifying • Fundraising leader for the technical and scientific excellence Laboratory. n activities, Frank was recognized for her outstanding contribu- tions and achievements. She will be honored at the AAN’s annual awards ceremony and induction on Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C.

Also at GSPH, former dean Bernard Goldstein, a faculty member in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, was appointed to the Insti- tute of Medicine’s committee to assess the health effects associated with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The committee will address the effects of the spill on both the short- and long-term health of individuals — including workers, volunteers, residents and visitors — to improve understanding of the crisis and determine what actions should be taken to protect public health in the future.

Livingston Alexander, pres- ident of Pitt- Bradford, has been appointed to the board of directors for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. The center is the second oldest state-level rural research policy center in the nation. It is a bipartisan legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The center works with gov- ernment groups and organiza-

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C A L E N D A R Memorial Service Monday 8 For Ruth Eleanor Levine, wife of CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 Arthur Levine, sr. vc for Health Health & Wellness Lecture Sciences & dean of School of Men’s Basketball WPIC Distinguished Scientist “Getting Better Sleep: What You Friday 5 Medicine, who died Oct. 18; Vs. IUP; Petersen, 7 pm Lecture Need to Know,” Daniel Buysse, Jazz Week Lecture “Glutamate, Prefrontal Cortex Heinz Chapel, 1:30 pm (fol- SBDC Workshop UPMC; Carnegie Library, Oak- “Inside Edition: The Author & Schizophrenia: Capturing lowed by reception in Hall of “The 1st Step: Mechanics of land, 6-7:30 pm (412/864-3465) Discusses His Books on Miles the ‘Angel’ in Angel Dust,” Joh Architecture, Carnegie Museum Starting a Small Business”; Men’s Basketball Davis & John Coltrane,” Bill Krystal, Yale; WPIC 2nd fl. aud., of Natural History) Mervis, 7:30-10 am (8-1542) Vs. RI; Petersen, 7 pm Cole, Syracuse; WPU Assembly 11 am-12:30 pm Jazz Week Lecture UPCI Symposium HSLS Film Rm., 7 pm GI Research Rounds “Artistry in Rhythm: Dedicated “Innovative Strategies to Target “Harry Potter & the Chamber Bradford Campus Reading “Visceral Representation in the to Kenny Clarke,” Winard Stem Cells in Cancer”; Cooper of Secrets”; lecture rm. 6 Scaife, Katrina Kittle; Mukaiyama Rm., Rat Primary Motor Cortex,” Harper; WPU Assembly Rm., Conf. Ctr., Hillman Cancer Ctr. 7 pm Frame-Westerberg Commons, David Levinthal; Presby M2 2 pm ground fl., 8 am-4 pm UPB, 7:30 pm conf. rm., noon Jazz Week Lecture Jazz Week Lecture Tuesday 9 Pgh. Contemporary Writers ULS Music Concert “‘Bags’ Meets ‘Wes’: A Salute to “I Remember Monk,” George Milt Jackson & Wes Montgom- Reading Ronni & Al; Cup & Chaucer, gr. HSLS Workshop Cables; WPU Assembly Rm., ery,” Dave Pike & Bobby Broom; Kimiko Hahn; FFA aud., 8:30 pm fl. Hillman, noon “Focus on Behavioral Medi- 10 am WPU Assembly Rm., 3-4:30 pm cine: Searching in PsycINFO,” Asian Studies/Linguistics Michele Klein-Fedyshin; Falk Lecture Library classrm. 1, 10-11:30 am “Nominalization & Relativ- Health Services Research ization: The Japanese & the Seminar Rest of the World,” Masayoshi “Predicting Hospital Readmis- Shibatani, Rice; 332 CL, 3 pm sion Before the Index Admis- (8-7426) sion,” Pamela Peele & Scott French & Italian Nicholas C. Zasadil; 305 Parkvale, noon Tucci Lecture World History Lecture “Cartographic Dante,” Theo- “Being Multidisciplinary,” Tom dore Cachey Jr., Notre Dame; Anderson; 3703 Posvar, noon 144 CL, 3 pm (reception follows CRSP Lecture in 156 CL) “Race, Class & Student Achieve- Classics Lecture ment in KIPP Middle Schools,” “Classics in the 21st Century: Philip Gleason, Mathematica; Radical Change & Deep Tradi- 2017 CL, noon (4-7382) tions,” Gregory Crane, Tufts; Pitt Alumni Assn. Lectures 244A CL, 4 pm “The Department of Defense Women’s Basketball Injury Prevention & Human Per- Vs. Seton Hill; Petersen, 7 pm formance Research Programs,” Scott Lephart, SHRS; “Seeing Saturday 6 Without Eyes: Sensory Substi- tution for the Blind,” Amy Nau, boundary 2 Symposium UPMC; Soldiers & Sailors Grand 602 CL, 9:45 am-6 pm (4-6523) Ballrm., 6-9 pm (412/647-4220) Jazz Week Lecture “From ‘Bird’ to ‘Trane’ With Wednesday 10 Love,” Peter King & Javon Jack- son; WPU Assembly Rm., 10 am Clinical Oncology & Hematol- Jazz Week Lecture ogy Grand Rounds “A Salute to Louis ‘Pops’ Arm- “Do Not Disturb…the Brain: strong,” Jon Faddis & Randy Minimal Invasion for Maximiz- Brecker; WPU Assembly Rm., ing Resection of Brain & Spinal noon Cord Lesions,” Robert Fried- Jazz Seminar Concert lander; UPCI Herberman Conf. Carnegie Music Hall, 8 pm Ctr. 2nd fl. aud., 8 am (4-4125) Pathology Research Seminar “Lung Cancer: Histo-Molecular Sunday 7 Classification & Signaling Path- ways,” Elisabeth Brambilla, Slovak Heritage Festival Grenoble U Hospital; Scaife CL Commons Rm., 1-5 pm lecture rm. 5, noon (8-1040) (4-5906) SAC Mtg. 532 Alumni, 12:15 pm GSPIA Ford Inst. Lecture “The Responsibility to Protect,” Alison Giffen, Stimson Ctr.; 3800 Posvar, 12:30 pm HSLS Workshop “Protein Sequence Analysis,” Ansuman Chattopadhyay; Falk Library conf. rm. B, 1-3 pm Senate Council Mtg. 2700 Posvar, 3 pm Men’s Basketball Vs. IL-Chicago; Petersen, 7 pm Latin American Studies Film “La Bella del Alhambra”; FFA aud., 6:30 pm Thursday 11

GSPH Foster Lecture in Alzheimer’s Disease “Dementia in the Aged: Inevi- table, Postponable or Prevent- able?” Lewis Kuller; G23 Parran, 11:30 am EOH Seminar “The Tip of the Iceberg: Emerg- ing Critical Role of MicroR- NAs in Lung Fibrosis,” Naftali Kaminski; 540 Bridgeside Point, noon

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

14 OCTOBER 28, 2010

C A L E N D A R Medicine/Molecular Biology Deadlines “Biophysical Characterization CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 of Chemically Unfolded States SAC CPR/AED Certification of the Membrane Protein Rho- Asian Studies Lecture HSLS Workshop Response to Soil Calcium Silicate Workshop dopsin,” Arpana Dutta; Nov. 11, “Unpacking the Archive: Ichthy- “EndNote Basics,” Ahlam Saleh; Amendment,” Mark Green, Workshop will be held Nov. 13, 6014 BST3, 3 pm ology, Photography & the Archi- Falk Library classrm. 2, 1-3 pm Plymouth State; 11 Thaw, 4 pm 9 am-1 pm for non-health care val Record in Colonial Korea,” SHRS/CIDDE Workshop Pgh. Contemporary Writers individuals & 1-5 pm for medical Gyewon Kim, Asian studies/ “Instructional Practices in Reading Theatre students & health care workers. history of art & architecture; the Distance Education Envi- Michael Thomas; FFA aud., Registration & $40 payment due 4130 Posvar, noon ronment,” Carol Washburn, 8:30 pm Pitt Repertory Theatre Oct. 29. Payment can be brought Humanities Colloquium CIDDE; 4060 , “Slasher”; through Nov. 7; Char- or mailed to the SAC office, 313 “Approaches: Charting the Sicil- 3-4:30 pm PhD Defenses ity Randall Theatre, Stephen Bellefield. (4-4236) ian Island Through Other Spaces Geology & Planetary Science Foster, W-F 8 pm, Sat. 2 & 8 Bellet Awards & Non-Places,” Lina Insana; 602 Colloquium A&S/Statistics pm, Sun. 2 pm (4-7529) Nomination letters must be CL, 12:30-2 pm “A Catchment-Scale Hydrologic “Functional Connectivity Analy- Theatre Student Labs submitted to Judy McConnaha, sis of fMRI Time-Series Data,” “Wanda’s Visit” & “Krapp’s 140 Thackeray, by Oct. 31. (info: Homecoming 2010 Dongli Zhou; Oct. 28, 2321 CL, Last Tape”; Nov. 10-14; Studio [email protected]) 2:30 pm Theatre, CL, W-F 8 pm, Sat. 2 Ampco-Pgh. Prize for Excel- THURSDAY 28 Engineering/Bioengineering & 8 pm, Sun. 2 pm lence in Advising “The Effects of Obesity on Kuntu Repertory Theatre Nomination packets must be Pathway to Professions: Career Occupant Injury Risk in Frontal “Harriet Tubman Loved Some- submitted to Judy McConnaha, Networking Event Impact: A Computer Modeling body”; Pgh. Playwrights Theatre 140 Thackeray, by Oct. 31. Bridges Rm., Holiday Inn-Univer- Approach,” Michael Turkovich; Co., 542 Penn Ave., Nov. 4-20; Chancellor’s Awards for Staff sity Center, 5 pm; Alumni Connolly Nov. 2, Bakery Square Conf. Th-Sat. 8 pm, Sun. 4 pm, also For Excellence in Service to the Ballrm., 6 pm Rm., Suite 401, 6425 Penn 1 pm Nov. 13 & 11 am Nov. 18 Community & for Excellence in Ave., 9 am (4-8498) Service to the University. Nomi- FRIDAY 29 Engineering/Industrial Engi- nation forms must be submitted neering Exhibits online by Nov. 12. (guidelines & Pitt News Centennial Alumni “Understanding the Model- nomination forms: www.hr.pitt. Open House ing Skill Shift in Engineering: Bradford Campus Exhibits edu/awards.htm) 434 WPU, 9 am-5 pm The Impact of Epistemology, UPB faculty; through Oct. 29; Chancellor’s Distinguished Pitt Alumni Assn. Committee Metacognition & Self-Efficacy,” “Affairs of the Art: 8th Annual Public Service Awards for Mtgs., Banner Luncheon & Board Tuba Pinar Yildrim; Nov. 2, 1060 Pitt-Bradford Student Art Exhi- Faculty Mtg. SATURDAY 30 Benedum, 3:30 pm bition”; Nov. 5-Dec. 3; KOA Art Nomination letters must be Alumni Connolly Ballrm., 9:30 Education/Administrative & Gallery, Blaisdell, UPB, M-Th submitted to Alberta Sbragia, am-3 pm Nationality Rms. Tours Policy Studies 8:30 am-8 pm & F 8:30 am-6 pm 801 CL, by Nov. 15. Nursing Tea & Alumni Program CL, 9 am-2:30 pm (also Oct. 31, 11 “The Effect of NCLB on Law Library Exhibit Women’s Studies/GSPIA Iris Victoria 1st fl. lobby, 2 pm am-2:30 pm; 4-6000) State Board & Local School “Lumen,” John Fobes; through Marion Young Award Katz Executive Women’s Panel Pitt Business Pancake Breakfast Board Relations: A Pennsylvania Nov. 12; Barco Law Library Gal- Nominations must be received FFA aud. & lobby, 3-5 pm (8-1620) Sennott 2nd fl. lobby, 9-11 am Example,” Joseph Dietrich; Nov. lery, reg. library hours by Dec. 15 at [email protected] Business Lecture (8-1620) 4, 4321 Posvar, 11 am University Art Gallery Exhibit or 2208 Posvar. (info: 4-6485) “The MBA Oath,” John Delaney; Largest Family Block Party SIS/Information & Technol- “Slag: What’s Left After Indus- FFA aud. & lobby, 5-6:30 pm Art Rooney Ave. near , ogy try?” HA&A students; Nov. 1-29; (8-1620) North Shore, 9 am “An Access Control & Trust U Art Gallery, FFA, 10 am-4 pm Pharmacy Banana Split Party Panther Prowl Management Framework for M-F (8-2400) 402 Salk, 6 pm (8-3304) Ampitheater outside Heinz Field Loosely-Coupled Multidomain Alumni Welcome Back Reception Gate A, North Shore, 10 am, fol- Environments,” Yue Zhang; Nov. CL Commons Rm., 6-8:30 pm lowed by band pregame concert 4, 1A04 IS, 1 pm (1-800/258-7488) March to Victory A&S/Neuroscience Engineering Homecoming Cel- Art Rooney Ave. near Heinz Field, “Mechanistic Bases of Subtype- ebration North Shore, 11 am Specific NMDA Receptor Chan- C L A S S I F I E D Soldiers & Sailors Patio, 6-9 pm Pitt Band Pregame Show nel Properties,” Beth Siegler POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN Dental Medicine Dinner & Stu- Heinz Field, 11:30 am Retchless; Nov. 8, A219B Lang- • $8 for up to 15 words; $9 for 16-30 Caucasian, Asian or Hispanic women wanted dent Mentoring Event Football ley, noon words; $10 for 31-50 words. for a 3-month osteoporosis study. Must UClub rooftop terrace 6:30-8 pm Vs. Louisville, noon Engineering/Bioengineering • For University ads, submit an account qualify by having low bone density on screen- (8-5096) Theatre Arts Performance “Dynamic Cortical Actin Con- number for transfer of funds. ing DXA Scan. 5 study visits at UPMC GSPIA Homecoming Reception “Emily Dickinson: The Poet Lights tractions During Convergence Montefiore. Requires daily injections of either • All other ads should be accompanied by Holiday Inn-University Center, the Lamp,” Yvonne Hudson; 144 & Extension of Frog Embryo,” an approved or investigational drug for osteo- a check for the full amount made payable porosis. Contact coordinator @ 412/864-3266 Schenley Ballrm., 7-9 pm (8-7430) CL, 4 & 6 pm (412/251-5532) Hye Young Kim; Nov. 9, 102 to the University of Pittsburgh. Education Alumni Reception AAAC Steppin’ Back in Time… Benedum, 2 pm or [email protected]. • Reserve space by submitting ad copy PAA Johnny Majors Rm., 7-9 pm Moving in the Future A&S/Communication one week prior to publication. Copy and WANTED (8-1738) Alumni 7th fl. aud., 8:30 pm “Lifting ‘the Long Shadow’: payment should be sent to University WEB SITE PROMOTERS Dental Medicine Alumni Recep- Kategoria & Apologia in the Times, 308 Bellefield Hall, University We are looking for web site promoters for www. tion & Student Mentoring Event SUNDAY 31 Legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh 15260. hypepittsburgh.com. It is a locally owned web UClub rooftop terrace, 8-9:30 pm Study,” Autumn Boyer; Nov. 9, • For more information, call Barbara site designed to promote the social activities in (8-5096) AAAC Worship Service: Rejoice 1109B CL, 2 pm DelRaso, 412/624-4644. Pgh. We are looking for men & women who Fireworks & Laser Show in the Miracle Engineering/Bioengineering will take pictures in bars, clubs, restaurants & Bigelow Blvd. & CL lawn, 9 pm Grand Pgh. (formerly Hilton Pgh.), “Nanoparticle Contrast Agents HELP WANTED school events. Compensation provided. Email Homecoming Extravaganza Downtown, 10 am for Optical Coherence Tomog- [email protected] if interested. OFFICE WORKER raphy,” Michelle Gabriele; Nov. WPU, 10 pm Pitt News Centennial Brunch Seeking part-time office help. Must have good Keynote speaker: Scott MacLeod; 10, 102 Benedum, 10:30 am phone skills. Duties include taking orders over 1st fl. WPU, 10 am-1 pm Engineering/Bioengineering the phone & calling customers. Roth Carpet AAAC Fellowship Brunch “Micro-Technologies to Con- Cleaning, 412/244-9290. Grand Pgh. (formerly Hilton Pgh.), strain Neuronal Networks,” PERSONAL Downtown, 11 am Ashwin Vishwanathan; Nov. 10, Buy it, BST3 5th fl. conf. rm., 1:30 pm CONVERSATION Lovely Russian lady, 50, looking to meet 50+ European, cultured gentleman to spend special times with. 412/642-2920. sell it, SERVICES ELDER LAW—ESTATE ATTORNEYS Michael H. Marks & Associates. Elder law; nursing home/Medicaid cost-of-care planning; find it wills; POAs; trusts; probate & estate administra- tion; real estate. Squirrel Hill: 412/421-8944; Monroeville: 412/373-4235; email: michael@ in the marks-law.com. Free initial consultation. Fees quoted in advance. Personal & informative. University Times SUBJECTS NEEDED BLOOD PRESSURE & THE BRAIN Research study with one MRI & two interview CLASSIFIEDS! sessions seeks healthy adults ages 35-60. Cannot have hypertension, heart disease or diabetes. Call $150 compensation. Some invited to repeat study in 2 years with additional compensa- tion. Contact Kim Novak at 412/624-6200 or 412/624-4644. [email protected].

15 U N I V E R S I T Y TIMES

C A L E N D A R Saturday 30 Fox Ctr. Innovations in Vision Restoration Lecture “A Regenerative Medicine Nursing Conference October Approach for Optic Nerve “Advanced Breast Cancer, Living Reconstruction Using Bio- GSPIA Ford Institute Lecture Sociology Conference With Health & Wellness,” Thursday 28 logic Scaffold Materials,” Ste- “Enhancing Civilian Protection “Beyond the IRB: New Fron- Shannon Puhalla, medicine; phen Badylak & Peter Crapo, in Peace Operations: Insights tiers in the Ethics of Qualitative Gilda’s Club, 2816 Smallman • Homecoming activities McGowan Inst.; E&EI 5th fl. From Africa,” Paul Williams, Research”; 2400 Posvar, 9:30 St., Strip District, 8:30 am-2:30 through Oct. 30 (see box on boardrm., noon GW; 3431 Posvar, 12:30 pm am-4 pm (8-7580) pm (3-8839) page 15). HSLS Workshop GSPH Seminar HSLS Workshop Football “Quantile Regression for Doubly “Mobile Computing,” Roman “Journals & More at a Glance: EOH Seminar Vs. Louisville; Heinz Field, noon Censored Data,” Limin Peng, Cibirka, Iltifat Husain & Rasu iGoogle or MyYahoo Pages,” “Context & Cell Type in Con- Rollins School of Public Health; Shrestha; S100 BST, 10 am-4 pm Andrea Ketchum; Falk Library trol of Lung Inflammation,” Sunday 31 A115 Crabtree, 3:30 pm GSPH Legacy Laureate Lec- classrm. 1, noon Anuradha Ray; 540 Bridgeside Geology & Planetary Science ture Sr. VC Laureate Lecture Point, noon Men’s Basketball Colloquium “Obesity, Physical Activity & “The 7th Age of Man: Solving Epidemiology Seminar Vs. Northwood (FL); Petersen, “Construction & Evolution of Breast Cancer Disparities,” Alzheimer’s Disease,” Dennis “Taking a Better Look Upstream: 4 pm an Ice-Confined Basaltic Fissure Lucile Adams-Campbell; UClub Selkoe, Harvard; Scaife aud. How Do We Increase Public Complex,” Emily Mercurio; 11 Ballrm. A, 10:30 am 6, noon Health’s Impact?” Ron Voor- Thaw, 4 pm WPIC Lecture November Simulation & Modeling Work- hees; A115 Crabtree, noon Bioengineering Lecture “Brain Monoamine Oxidase A shop ADRC Lecture “The Bionic Ear: The Cre- Binding & Major Depressive Monday 1 “Using High Performance Com- “Neuroimaging Predictors of ation & Commercial Develop- Disorder: Relationship to Phase puting at Pitt”; 229 Benedum, Treatment Response in Late- ment of the Multi-Channel of Illness,” Jeffrey Meyer; Detre • Spring term enrollment noon Life Depression,” Howard Cochlear Implant,” Jim Patrick, 2nd fl. aud., 11 am-12:30 pm begins. HSLS Workshop Aizenstein, psychiatry & bio- Cochlear Ltd.; Scaife aud. 5, 4 PHLF Walking Tour “DNA Analysis Tools,” Carrie engineering; S439 Montefiore, pm (412/924-1012) “Oakland’s Civic Center: Big Flu Shot Clinic Iwema; Falk Library conf. rm. noon Romanian Film Festival Gifts & Big Dreams”; meet at Posvar 1st fl. Galleria, 10 am- B, 1-3 pm Asian Studies Lecture “To Act or Not to Act: Ethics in Forbes Ave. & Schenley Dr. Ext. 2pm Faculty Assembly Mtg. “The Paradox of Poetic Rep- Romanian Cinema”; 324 CL, 7-9 by the dinosaur, noon UClub Ballrm. A, 3 pm resentation,” Cecile Chu-Chin pm (http://ethicsinromaniancin- Anthropology Lecture Tuesday 2 Simulation & Modeling Work- Sun, East Asian languages & ema.wordpress.com/) “Dancing With the Invisible: shop literatures; 4130 Posvar, noon Gender, Performance & the HSLS Workshop “Making the Most of High Per- Nordenberg Lecture in Law, Cult of Mobutu in Post-Colonial “Adobe Photoshop for Begin- formance Computing at Pitt”; Medicine & Psychiatry Friday 29 Congo,” Yolanda Covington- ners,” Sam Lewis; Falk Library 229 Benedum, 3 pm “Legal & Ethical Issues in Medi- • Deadline for students to Ward, Africana studies; 3106 classrm. 2, 10 am-noon Humanities/Medieval & cal Treatment of Children With submit monitored withdrawal Posvar, 3 pm CVR Seminar Renaissance Studies Lecture Variations of Sex Anatomy,” forms to dean’s office for fall Philosophy of Science Lecture “Transmitted/Founder Viruses “How Jesus Celebrated Passover: Anne Tamar-Mattis, Advocates term. “Time’s Arrow & Eddington’s in Acute HIV, SIV & HCV Infec- Renaissance Scholarship & the for Informed Choice; Barco Challenge,” Huw Price, U of tion: A Genetic Approach for Jewish Origins of Christianity,” Teplitz Courtrm., noon Johnstown Campus Workshop Sydney; 817R CL, 3:30 pm Elucidating Microbial Transmis- Anthony Grafton, Princeton; Humanities Discussion “International Traffic in Arms (4-1052) sion & Pathogenesis,” George FFA aud., 5 pm “Worlds Made by Words,” Regulations”; Living/Learn- Music Lecture Shaw; 6014 BST3, noon Music Concert Anthony Grafton; 602 CL, ing Ctr., Heritage, UPJ, 8:30 Joan Tower, Pgh. Symphony Pharmaceutical Sciences Pitt Symphony Orchestra; Belle- 12:30-2 pm am-4 pm Orchestra; 132 Music, 4 pm Seminar field aud., 8 pm (4-4125) (4-4125) “Designing Drugs Targeting Orphan Nuclear Receptors,” Thursday 4 Thomas Burris; 456 Salk, noon UNIVERSITY Health Services Research GSPIA Innovation Lecture Seminar “Metro Patterns & Regional “Patient- & Population-Level Engagement,” Myron Orfield, TIMES Trade-Offs of Discontinuing U of MN; UClub Ballrm. A, 9 Antiretroviral Therapy for am (8-2282) HIV-Infected Individuals in Epidemiology Seminar 2010-11 publication schedule Resource-Limited Settings,” “Creating a New Workforce April Kimmel; 305 Parkvale, (Dental Therapists) in Oral Events occurring Submit by For publication noon Health Care to Help Close the History Seminar Access Gap but Does It Have Nov. 11-24 (Wed.) Nov. 4 Nov. 11 “Advances & Limitations in the Teeth?” Robert Weyant & Rich- Nov. 24-Dec. 9 Nov. 18 Nov. 24 (Wed.) Current Fight Against Racism ard Rubin; A115 Crabtree, noon in Cuba,” Tomas Fernandes Asian Studies Lecture Dec. 9-Jan. 6 Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Robaina, José Martí National “The Visual Presentation of Library, Havana; 3703 Posvar, Western Music in China During Jan. 6-20 Dec. 23 Jan. 6 noon (8-7486) the 19th Century,” Liangyu Fu, MMG Seminar communication; 4130 Posvar, Jan. 20-Feb. 3 Jan. 13 Jan. 20 “Immune Cell Perturbations noon Induced by HIV-1 Nef,” Paul ADRC Lecture Feb. 3-17 Jan. 27 Feb. 3 Jolicoeur; 503 Bridgeside Point “The Diagnosis & Treatment of 2, 3:15 pm Dementia in Urban Catalonia, Feb. 17-March 3 Feb. 10 Feb. 17 Pharmacology & Chemical or Innocence Abroad,” James March 3-17 Feb. 24 March 3 Biology Seminar Becker, psychiatry, neurology “Living With Oxygen: Tales of & psychology; 123 Starzl BST, March 17-March 31 March 10 March 17 Superoxide Dismutase,” Valeria noon Culotta, Johns Hopkins; 1395 Survival Skills & Ethics Brown March 31-April 14 March 24 March 31 Starzl BST, 3:30 pm Bag Lunch “Careers Over Lunch”; 1105 April 14-28 April 7 April 14 Wednesday 3 Scaife, noon Humanities Colloquium April 28-May 12 April 21 April 28 Orthopaedic Surgery Grand “Humanities & Inhumanities,” Anthony Grafton, Princeton; May 12-26 May 5 May 12 Rounds “Management of the Unstable 602 CL, 12:30-2 pm May 26-June 9 May 19 May 26 Pelvis Fracture: Current Con- Law Lecture troversies,” Wade Smith; LHAS “Disability Law & Policy,” June 9-23 June 2 June 9 aud. 7th fl. Montefiore, 7 am Andrew Imaparato, American Pathology Research Seminar Assn. of People With Disabili- June 23-July 7 June 16 June 23 “Pathogenesis of Ehrlichia & ties; UClub Ballrm. B, 1-2:30 Anaplasma Infection & Disease,” pm (8-1418) July 7-21 June 30 July 7 Nahed Ismail, Meharry Medi- Geology & Planetary Science cal College; 1104 Scaife, noon Colloquium July 21-Sept. 1 July 14 July 21 (8-1040) Sabina Deitrick, GSPIA; 11 The University Times events calendar includes Pitt-sponsored events as well as non-Pitt events held on Thaw, 4 pm a Pitt campus. Information submitted for the calendar should identify the type of event, such as lecture History Lecture or concert, and the program’s specific title, sponsor, location and time. The name and phone number of “The Itinerant Artist as Explorer a contact person should be included. Information should be sent by email to: [email protected], by FAX in Yoruba Culture,” Rowland to: 412/624-4579, or by campus mail to: 308 Bellefield Hall. We cannot guarantee publication of events Abiodun, UMass-Amherst; 202 received after the deadline. FFA, 4 pm (8-7486) CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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