Faculty members What began with Commuters: INSIDE honored for graduate Superphone in 1981, Put down your car teaching says ‘Goodbye’ today keys and step off THIS ISSUE that bus Page 3 Page 8 Page 7 THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2009 VOL. 28 / NO. 18 Farewell ... to print Chronicle’s 28-year run ends today, as news delivery evolves As the University prepares slated for fall 2009, and it will a new generation of electronic provide a platform for a family publications for faculty, staff, of new reports tailored to the students and friends, the interests of different segments University of Chicago Chronicle is of the University community, publishing its final issue. outside media and interested The University News Office observers around the world. In launched the Chronicle 28 years a world increasingly accustomed ago as a way to speak directly to to instant information, all these the University community, at improvements offer timely news a time when newspapers were and updates. a firmly established habit and “We are providing more print provided one of the most information about the University, Artist renderings courtesy of Hoerr Schaudt economical ways to reach a large to more people, in more ways An artist’s renderings provide a view looking west of the current and proposed changes to the streets and number of people. than ever before,” said Julie walkways on the Main Quadrangles. But reading habits have Peterson, Vice President for changed dramatically in recent Communications. “With that years. A survey of Chronicle comes an unprecedented effort to readers this spring showed that 96 reach out to our most important Summer project aimed at making Main percent get some or most of their constituents, the University news from the Internet. Intended community. We know that our for an audience of more than work on this is only beginning, Quadrangles more pedestrian-friendly 27,000 faculty and staff members, and we welcome readers’ thoughts students and friends, fewer than as we use new media to build By William Harms advantage of that construction accommodate their needs while 4,000 copies of the Chronicle more effective communications [email protected] window to transform the main eliminating most daytime vehicle were picked up from the free tools.” News Office drive within the quadrangle, from access. Wiesenthal said that early drop boxes around campus and Last fall the News Office The heart of campus will be the circle to University Avenue, in the fall, administrators will the neighborhood during each introduced the weekly e-mail friendlier to pedestrians and more into a pedestrian walkway. hold an open meeting to further of three different samplings this newsletter UChicago News, accessible to everyone next fall, “The iconic image of the explain possible policy changes spring. which links readers to news and after a three-month project on the University of Chicago is and answer questions. Over the last two years, the features about the University, University’s Main Quadrangles. its Collegiate Gothic Main Work is scheduled to begin University also has created new outside media coverage, Beginning shortly after the end Quadrangles and the Botanical Monday, June 15, and the avenues to report important upcoming events, multimedia of the Spring Quarter, workers Garden they enclose. Now construction will necessitate developments and share news offerings and important will replace the current stone we’ll be able to create the kind changes in routines this summer of the accomplishments of announcements. Steve Kloehn, paths with more even walkways of pedestrian environment for some people who use the faculty, staff, students and Associate Vice President for News whose pavers capture the historic quadrangles to enter buildings for alumni, including the electronic and Public Affairs, encourages for students, faculty, staff and work and classes. feel of the quads while improving visitors worthy of the heart of our newsletter UChicago News and Chronicle readers to subscribe access for people with disabilities. “Essentially what will happen the redesigned Web pages at by clicking on the link at http:// campus,” said Steve Wiesenthal, is that people who enter some While construction is under way, Associate Vice-President of uchicago.edu. The University has news.uchicago.edu. users of the Main Quadrangles buildings now on the quadrangles created a new online community At the same time Kloehn said Facilities Services. may need to enter from adjacent for alumni and friends, and the News Office is re-examining will have to use alternative Representatives of University routes to some buildings and streets—Ellis and University introduced a universal calendar of the way it reports on everything passageways. Facilities Services are meeting avenues, and 57th and 59th events. from new research discoveries to with stakeholders in the buildings Trustees also reviewed a streets,” said Boyd Black, Assistant A redesign of the news page life on campus, cultural events to around the Main Quadrangles on the University’s Web site is plan last week that would take to find out how best to CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Olopade, Rajan to speak at Convocation Classical archaeologist to The University will confer the Crisis.” Friday, June 12. about 3,000 degrees on students During Session I, degrees will During Session II, degrees will receive honorary degree from the College, graduate be conferred on candidates in the be conferred upon candidates in divisions and professional Law School, the Irving B. Harris the William B. and Catherine The University will confer literature, he is the architect schools at its 498th Convocation Graduate School of Public Policy V. Graham School of General an honorary degree on Anthony of a new, self-critical synthesis ceremonies. Studies and the School of Social Studies, the Division of the Snodgrass, in of between classical Sessions will be held Friday, Service Administration. The recognition of archaeology and June 12, Saturday, June 13 and ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 his significant ancient history that Sunday, June 14 in Harper contributions to embraces theoretical Quadrangle, rain or shine. the field of classical developments in Olufunmilayo Olopade, the archaeology, at anthropological Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Session II of archaeology. Service Professor of Medicine and the University’s He has helped Associate Dean for Global Health, Friday, June 12 pioneer techniques in will deliver the Convocation Convocation. intensive archaeological address at Sessions I, II and III. Snodgrass, field survey, which have Her talk is titled “Democratizing the Laurence revealed important Education to Eradicate Poverty professor emeritus Anthony Snodgrass issues concerning and Improve Global Health.” of classical settlement patterns, Raghuram Rajan, the Eric archaeology in the land use and the rural J. Gleacher Distinguished faculty of classics at the University landscape of Greece neglected Service Professor of Finance at of Cambridge, and fellow at Clare by earlier generations of Chicago Booth, will deliver the College, Cambridge, will receive a archaeologists. Convocation address at Session Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Jonathan Hall, the Phyllis F. IV, when degrees will be conferred Snodgrass has significantly Horton Professor in Humanities, on candidates in the Chicago transformed the field of classical and Professor and Chair of Booth School of Business. Rajan’s archaeology over the past four Classics and Professor in History, talk is titled “Politics, Finance and decades. With his deep knowledge will introduce Snodgrass at the Olufunmilayo Olopade Raghuram Rajan of ancient Greek and Roman Convocation. 2 / JUNE 11, 2009 THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CHRONICLE Chicago in the News The Chronicle’s biweekly column Literature and the College, announced Bankruptcy should help GM Finding life on Mars a snap Chicago In the News offers a digest of Wednesday, May 27 that a historical commentary and quotations by a few of collection belonging to founders and Law experts, including Randal Picker, Patrick McGuire (A.B.,’89), Research the University faculty members, students publishers of the Chicago Defender would weighed in on the Chapter 11 bankruptcy Scientist in the Department of Geophysical and alumni who have been headlining be housed in a Chicago Public Library announcement of General Motors in a Sciences, is leading a research team that the news in recent weeks. Chicago faculty branch on the city’s South Side. The Monday, June 1 article on the Gannett is using camera phones in the Utah desert members are some of the most frequently Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of news wire. The federal government to test an algorithm that could identify quoted experts, so space allows publishing Afro-American History and Literature announced it majority ownership stake life on Mars. A Tuesday, June 2 article references to only selected examples. To will display the Abbott-Sengstacke Family in the auto giant, which was reportedly in New Scientist highlighted the team’s read many of the full newspaper articles Papers, which contain historical documents, $172.81 billion in debt. Airlines such imaging algorithm, which is designed to mentioned in this column, visit the photographs and home movies that provide as Delta, Northwest and United airlines automatically identify geological areas of University News Office Web site: http:// a look at Black America in the early 20th once used bankruptcy organization to interest, such as rock formations or signs news.uchicago.edu. century. “There were photos of Booker T. lower their operating costs and debt amid of organic matter. McGuire’s team is using Inventing a better language Washington playing with his grandchildren, competition from Southwest Airlines; now phones to take a series of pictures that are there were letters from Harry Truman,” GM and Chrysler are in a similar situation sent to a nearby laptop, where the algorithm Alumna and linguist Arika Okrent Goldsby said. “Every time I opened a box, I with competitors like Toyota.