The University has had its share of press this year, taking repeated criticism for its various attempts at Arab-Israeli dialogue. But the administration says it's not stirring under the pressure, despite a recent report to the contrary.The Boston Globe reported this week that Brandeis hired a New York-based public relations firm "to showcase its efforts at even-handedness" in Arab-Israeli dialogue.

But Lorna Miles, the senior vice president of communications, downplayed the University's relationship with Dukas Public Relations, a firm which she said has been "filling in" the void the last couple months left by former spokesperson David Nathan's move to the office of development in March.

The Globe article, "A question of culture," focused primarily on the debate sparked by a column published in the Justice last month by forum editor Matt Brown '08, who asserted that Brandeis is "too Jewish."

The article also pointed to the media attention the University has seen recently for removing artwork by Palestinian youths from the Goldfarb Library and presenting playwright Tony Kushner, who has been accused of expressing anti-Israel sentiments, with an honorary degree at commencement.

The University "went on the counteroffensive," when it hired the firm, the article said, suggesting that the extra publicity would improve the University's image in the media.

But Miles disputed that account. "It wasn't represented in exactly the way that was accurate," she said. It made it seem as though "we had gone out and hired a New York PR firm to do damage control . and that's not what happened."

Miles said the University hired Dukas when Nathan's departure freed up funds. It also helps that Dukas has a toehold in New York media, she said.

Nathan now serves as the director of communications in the office of development.

"We had a big hole in our organization, so I said, 'why don't you guys fill in the work that [Nathan] would have been handling, and they've done a good job," she said. "They've basically acted like another pair of hands for us."

Miles said Dukas won't be as "involved" now that a full-time staff member, Marsha MacEachern, was hired two weeks ago.

"I like some of the things that [Dukas is] doing, but I probably don't have the budget to keep them, to tell you the truth," Miles said. "If they did stay on it would be in a very specific capacity, not in the day-to-day kinds of things they've been doing with us."

Richard Dukas, the President of Dukas Public Relations, said the firm became involved with the University when his client, Michael Steinhardt, a major Brandeis benefactor, donated $12 million to establish the Steinhardt Social Research Institute in Fall 2005.

Dukas said his firm works on publicity "placements" for the University in major newspapers, specifically on publicizing its Jewish and Middle Eastern programs.

"The idea of the program is to help make the larger public aware of many of the tremendous programs and activities that the University has in relation to the Jewish community [and] in relation to the Middle East," Dukas said.

The firm works closely with the Crown Center for Middle East Studies, he said. Crown Center Director Shai Feldman was "prominently quoted" on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle this week, an example of one of their placements.