(09/03/13 4:00am)
In recent political news, our U.S. legislators shot down a law forcing companies to label all foods that contain genetically modified organisms. According to the World Health Organization, a genetically modified food is one that has been modified by inserting a gene from a different organism into its genetic code. This process allows businesses to profit from a food that was not made naturally. GM research is a very new science and the real health risks of consuming foods that are not naturally-occurring have not been confirmed. Research from the U.S. National Library of Medicine further reveals how some GM foods may have toxic effects on the hormonally-sensitive parts of our bodies, but that many more years of research must be conducted before we know for sure. According to he Grocery Manufacturer Association, 80 percent of the conventional processed foods we eat in America contain GMOs. Consumers have been unknowingly eating them and in light of recent news, this could be detrimental for people who have dietary restrictions. In this last orange season, a bacterium called C. liberibacter destroyed nine percent of the total orange groves in Florida. It sounds like a very small portion; but, Florida's orange industry is the second largest in the world and this loss has put even more pressure on the farmers. Given the hope that genetic modification could potentially produce orange trees that are resilient to this devastating bacterium, farmers have begun working with GMO researchers. Dr. William O. Dawson at the University of Florida has been a key researcher, testing a dozen different bacteria-fighting genes to add to oranges. The most successful gene was doomed from the beginning and came from the least comforting source: the pig. Dawson's article states that there is nothing scientifically dangerous about this; however, it does present an ethical dilemma for all the non-pig eaters of the world. From a religious standpoint, there are Muslims, Jews and Hindus as well as vegetarians and vegans, all of whom conservatively do not consume pigs or pork products. If this technology ends up passing the muster of our nation's legal system, will genetically modified oranges become off-limits for all of these groups? Without legislation mandating that companies label foods containing GMOs, will these groups of people be able to safely eat oranges? Why have we as a society come to a point where even our fruits and vegetables are genetically related to pork products? How is this accepted as the best solution to stop the destruction caused by C. liberibacter? This bacterium has evolved to become so strong that it is resilient to all of the various pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other chemicals that are sprayed on orange groves. It is our own fault for having exposed our environment to so many deleterious chemicals that by the process of natural selection, C. liberibacter is now a formidable opponent. If this unsettling research becomes our nation's last resort to save the orange groves of Florida, what could that mean for all of the other agricultural sectors in America that are threatened by deadly bacteria? Only a non-pork eater himself can dictate whether or not this type of orange will be ethically sound to consume. But if the U.S. government does not give its people the option to decide by not mandating companies to label their foods, will we be able to eat oranges anymore? When it comes to oranges, which are so central to American life-present on breakfast tables and in little league sports snacks, genetic modification is a frightening solution. If researchers cannot stop C. liberibacter and it eradicates the fruit altogether, will we survive without the orange? Tampering with Mother Nature's creations for temporary fixes to our agricultural problems does not seem to be the best solution. If I may present an alternate solution to the orange quandary, I would suggest all cities adopt a community-supported agriculture, which is much smaller in scale and more sustainably sound for our environment. CSA is a fairly new system for which communities come together to fund and support local, organic, seasonal produce, which ultimately combats this unnatural demand most societies have for wanting everything available to them at all times. We, as Brandeis students, are fortunate to have multiple CSAs around Waltham that support a significant number of people. But if we expand this sustainable system to a national level and cater to this mindset of only eating produce that is in season to change our demanding dietary needs, could that be the easy solution to the case of the Florida oranges? *
(09/03/13 4:00am)
University President Frederick Lawrence was among several university presidents around the nation to sign a letter from members of the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities published in Politico on July 31. The letter urged Congress to close the "innovation deficit," or the "widening gap between needed and actual investments" in higher education and research, as stated in the letter. "I signed [the letter] because I believe that higher education and university research have been instrumental in creating opportunity in the United States and that this belief is core to our mission at Brandeis," wrote Lawrence in an email to the Justice. According to Lawrence, the letter is not solely referring to the decrease in federal funding and additional budget cuts from the sequester, or the $85 billion across-the-board federal spending cuts made effective in March 2013 by the Budget Control Act of 2011, but also the fact that these investments lag behind those being made in other nations. "The primary way that we are seeing an impact [of insufficient investments] is in the increased competition for research grants and the government agencies' imposing budget reductions on approved grants," Lawrence wrote. The letter stated that "the U.S. has fallen to 12th among developed countries in the share of young adults who hold college degrees. Our nation is rapidly losing ground, and further cuts including sequestration will only exacerbate the problem." The letter highlighted potential outcomes of decreased investments in higher education and research, including "a less prepared, less highly skilled U.S. workforce, fewer U.S.-based scientific and technological breakthroughs, fewer U.S.-based patents, and fewer U.S. start-ups, products, and jobs." According to Lawrence, the government funds the University through grants and contracts, which only account for 22 percent of the University's $23 million operating budget. According to a March 19 Justice article, the National Institutes of Health was cut by 5.1 percent this year due to the sequester, and the National Science Foundation announced that it would fund 1,000 fewer projects this year. Assistant Provost for Research Administration Paul O'Keefe was quoted in the March 19 article, stating that over the past three years, Brandeis has received an average of $48 million per year in federal research funding. According to O'Keefe, two thirds of those funds, or about $32 million, come from the National Institutes of Health, while 12 percent, almost six million dollars, comes from the National Science Foundation. O'Keefe said that the remainder of the federal funds Brandeis receives-about 21 percent, equaling about $10 million-comes from other federal agencies. According to Sherri Avery, director of financial aid, sequestration and federal budget cuts affected financial aid to attend colleges and universities, as well. Avery explained that due to sequestration, the Stafford Loan origination fee went up from one percent to 1.051 percent and the fee on the Grad and Parent PLUS Loan went from four percent to 4.204 percent. Students who take out such loans are therefore paying increased fees. "Due to this change, the difference in the net proceeds on the Stafford Loan was pretty minimal at a total of $2-$3 less per academic year for an undergraduate student," Avery wrote in an email to the Justice. According to Avery, the only other effect on financial aid was a decrease in funding from the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant, which went from $4,000 per year to $3,716 per year. This grant is for students who are planning a career in teaching in a high-need field of education in a low-income school. "We only have one student at Brandeis who receives this award," wrote Avery. According to Avery, the majority of the financial aid that Brandeis students receive comes directly from the University, and federal grants only accounted for 6.25 percent of the total grant and scholarship assistance received by undergraduates during the 2012-2013 academic year. Although the University does receive federal funding, Lawrence said that it is difficult to draw a direct correlation between cuts in government spending and cuts at the University. Lawrence stated that signing the letter is as much about urging the government to keep government investment in higher education and research competitive with other nations as it is about any impact on the Brandeis specifically. "The bigger impact is the research that doesn't happen because it didn't get funded, the big ideas that can't be tested because there isn't funding for them, and the discoveries that aren't made because a researcher couldn't get a scientific grant to follow up a hypothesis or finish an important series of experiments," he wrote. According to Jeff Lieberson, a spokesman for the APLU, in an Aug. 1 Boston.com article, the letter was sent individually to each member of Congress and the White House.
(09/03/13 4:00am)
The Brandeis International Business School is making its mark in the undergraudate community this semester. IBS launched a program this year that will allow students who are pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in the College of Arts and Sciences to also complete an MBA in just three semesters after graduation. The BA/MBA and BS/MBA dual-degree programs were announced in May, after being approved by the Board of Trustees. The program caters to students graduating with degrees in both the sciences and in the liberal arts. BS students are required to take at least two undergraduate classes in Business or Economics, and the BA students generally major or minor in Business along with their additional liberal arts major. "To some extent, each of these two groups will follow a slightly different path, but the plan enables all these graduates to get an MBA without having to leave campus for work experience, as is usually the case for MBA programs," Prof. Ben Gomes-Casseres (IBS), director of the MBA program, said in an interview with the Justice. The MBA track normally involves at least two years of work experience before the two years of graduate studies. The dual-degree program allows students to complete the MBA in only three semesters after completing their undergraduate degree, according to the IBS website. Four courses, or 16 credits, taken as an undergraduate will also count toward the MBA, and students will complete the remaining 48 credits required for the MBA over those three semesters. According to Gomes-Casseres, the idea originated from both the strategic planning process of the University as a whole and IBS' own strategic planning. The strategic plan mentions dual-degree, interdisciplinary programs such as this one. "Parallel to the University effort, we at IBS also explored in our strategic planning how to enhance the academic links between IBS and the rest of Brandeis," Gomes-Casseres said. "We are excited about this new program as it builds upon the strengths of the undergraduate programs and Brandeis IBS, positioning students to find rewarding and intellectually challenging positions in the new economy," said Dean of IBS Bruce Magid. "We expect there to be a lot of interest among students looking to complete their schooling in a shorter amount of time, while still getting the benefit of a rigorous academic program complemented by internships and other hands-on educational experiences." Although the application process is for students in their senior year at Brandeis, Gomes-Casseres suggests that students begin to consider the program earlier on in their studies, since it is a competitive program. "The admissions requirements are high because we want to ensure that the applicant has sufficient training and experience to succeed in the MBA classroom, but Brandeis undergraduates are a smart and hard-working bunch, so we expect that when the program is fully up and running, one or two dozen might be admitted yearly to the BA/MBA program," he said. Work experience and internships in the business field are required for admission to the BA/MBA program, and students pursuing the BS/MBA are encouraged to have similar work and lab experience. IBS will be holding information sessions about the dual-degree program on Oct. 17 and Nov. 14, from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Alumni Common Room at IBS. Gomes-Casseres also encourages students to speak with him and Holly Chase, the admissions dean at IBS, with any questions they may have about the program.
(09/03/13 4:00am)
Medical Emergency Aug. 26-The Golding Health Center requested an ambulance for a female in respiratory distress. The student was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Aug. 26-A female with stomach pains was transported to Golding Health Center from Sherman Dining Hall. Aug. 27-A female fell and hurt her leg during move-in into Rosenthal North residence hall. Aug. 27-A student was transported to the emergency room due to mud in her eye at the Mud Party event. Aug. 28-A student reported that she experienced pain in her appendix. She was consequently transported to Newton-Wellesley hospital for further care. Aug. 31-A student reported that his friend had fallen and hurt his ankle. He was then transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital with a BEMCo unit. Aug. 31-A student in Renfield Hall reported that her roommate was not feeling well. BEMCo then transported the student to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. for further care. Aug. 31-A student by the Shapiro Campus Center called to state there was a drunk female by the food truck on the pathway. BEMCo was then dispatched and transported the female to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 1-A community advisor in Pomerantz Hall called University Police to state her resident was sick, possibly due to intoxication. Sept. 1-A nurse from the Health Center alerted University Police to a student with acute physical discomfort. That student was then transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 1-A student in Cable Hall reported that she had a rash and requested that BEMCo assist her. The student was then transported to Newton Wellesley-Hospital for further care. Assault Aug. 31-A student reported that someone had thrown a bottle directly at her head. * Harassment Aug. 31-A student noted that her email was compromised and wished to file a report. * Traffic Aug. 26-A student reported that his car had been hit outside of the North Quad parking lot. * Disturbance Aug. 30-A complaint arose regarding loud music in the upper Foster Mods. * Larceny Aug. 26-A banner at the main entrance was taken. Aug. 28-Staff reported that a Brandeis laptop had been stolen at the Library and Technology Services vehicle parked at Rosenstiel Basic Medical Science Research Center. Aug. 31-A student reported that a laptop was stolen from her room in Ziv. Later that day, the student called to notify University Police that, through a Facebook application, she discovered someone in Waltham conducted a Facebook photo search of her friends. * Miscellaneous Aug. 28-A suspicious person was spotted outside the steps of Rabb School of Continuing Studies but could not be located. Aug. 28-A student notified University Police that a fellow student observed a snake in the bottom floor of Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. Sept. 1-An officer from University Police noted that several students were engaged in suspicious activity upon entering a wooded area outside Sachar International Center. * -compiled by Adam Rabinowitz *
(09/03/13 4:00am)
It can take a Ph.D. student years to finish his or her degree. Between outside employment, teaching positions and a rigorous workload, it is easy for the completion of a final dissertation to be postponed for months or even years. For doctoral students working toward a Ph.D. in the humanities, however, a new incentive has been formalized that allows those who qualify for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Dissertation-Completion Fellowship to reach the graduation finish line by having them sign a consent form promising they will not seek outside employment. The Fellowship is a useful resource for those who do not wish to linger in academia for too long. According to an article the Chronicle For Higher Education published in July, Brandeis Ph.D. students take a median average time of seven years to complete their degrees, but there are large variations in completion time between different departments. In order to qualify for the fellowship, students must be in their sixth year and writing a dissertation in the humanities or that takes a humanistic approach in the social sciences. It is therefore open to students in 10 different Brandeis graduate programs across multiple departments including Music, Politics and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Offering helpful opportunities to speed students through their programs is important to Prof. Mick Watson (PSYC), the dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the principal investigator on the Mellon Fellowship, responsible for negotiating the terms of the fellowship with the foundation. The purpose of the fellowship is to "give [the students] an entire year to dedicate to their dissertations so that they have enough funding to survive," Watson said in an interview with the Justice. The current funding each fellow receives has increased from previous years and now stands at $35,000. The Mellon foundation has been a partner with Brandeis in this offering for four years. "The [Mellon] Foundation is very interested in seeing humanities students not linger on ... this is almost like an experiment to see if this will help students graduate in a timely manner," said Watson. As Watson emphasized, the idea that students should not take outside employment while on the grant is not a new concept but has, in fact, always been part of an unofficial understanding that was only this year made into a commitment form. Watson admitted that there are challenges to living comfortably on $35,000 a year, but said that "it's a pretty good amount compared to anything else graduate students are going to get." The need to formalize the agreement comes from the behavior of a minority of students who took the grant but still failed to finish their dissertations on time. "The whole purpose of this is to keep people motivated," said Watson. "Most students that got it, [the fellowship] were perfectly good at handling it but some people got the money and still did not use it to work on their dissertation." For Paul Herron, a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Politics department, receiving the fellowship meant dealing with certain inconveniences. Herron's passion for teaching made the fellowship's strict stipulation against outside employment somewhat disappointing. "I love to teach and though I wouldn't say it's a sacrifice, you don't get to teach that year so you are giving up something," he said. Even though Herron is disappointed he won't be teaching this year, he says he understands ultimately that if he for a time refrains from outside work, the ability to dedicate all his efforts to his dissertation is invaluable. "It is ultimately a very freeing situation because you're just able to concentrate on your own work ... there's a trade-off but I think it is ultimately well worth it. I simply wouldn't be able to finish my dissertation in the same amount of time if I were teaching a class," he said. Herron went on to say that "the nice thing about Brandeis is that you can get teaching experience before you enter your sixth year." Herron hopes to finish his dissertation by the end of this year. His work focuses on southern state constitutions and American political development in the period between seccession and the turn of the 20th century. The first round of fellows that will be affected by the new commitment agreement will be selected sometime in the late fall or early winter of the 2013-2014 academic year. It remains to be seen how much the commitment agreement will help Ph.D. students get their degrees in a more timely fashion, but that is the goal. Borrowing a common phrase from the doctoral student world, "the best dissertation is a finished one," Herron said.
(08/27/13 4:00am)
At Brandeis we have many opportunities to get involved in the extracurricular realm of arts, but we also have many opportunities to study the arts in an academic atmosphere. This year, three professors from assorted departments have offered courses that allow for students to engage with art in a newfound way.
(08/27/13 4:00am)
Imagine your ideal playground. You would be inclined to include a wide variety of swings, slides, monkey bars and even rock climbing walls. Now draw it. This is what the children in Waltham's Prospect Hill community were instructed to do. Brandeis was just one group that helped compile their designs and, from there, organize the plans to bring their imaginative drawings to reality. On Sept. 17, Brandeis will join with local organizations and institutions to build the playground in the Prospect Hill area. The University will work alongside Bentley University, the Waltham Housing Authority and KaBoom, a non-profit organization that strives to create playgrounds across the country that allow for children to have a safe place to play. KaBoom used the children's creative ideas to plan out an innovative site and a safe environment inspired by their pictures. About 200 children in the area will be able to take advantage of the space, which will include a community garden and eventually an additional community center. Volunteers who will be present on Sept. 17 include students from both universities as well as staff from the other organizations involved in the project. One of these volunteers is Lucas Malo, director of community service at Brandeis. "One thing I always tell my students is that we never put ourselves into the community unless they tell us they want us," Malo said. "So the Waltham police officers and some of the folks from the city talked to some of the residents and said, 'Would you be interested in this?' and they all said yes." Malo and Kate Hussey from the Waltham Housing Authority, determined to make these ideas a reality, went and knocked on every single door in the complex, reaching out to about 60 people. Brandeis is responsible for raising 10 percent of the $85,000 it will take to create the playground. United Healthcare as well as the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation has donated the additional funding needed to build the playground. The playground is designed to benefit the children of Prospect Hill, but Malo stresses the goal of facilitating interaction among the various local communities. This is not the first time, though, that Malo is working with the community of Prospect Hill. The Waltham Group is the umbrella community service organization under which many service groups fall. One of those groups, called Waltham Kids' Club, runs an after-school program Monday through Thursday that is designed to mentor children in low-income communities in Waltham. Malo noted that because of the number of children in the housing units who do not participate in the Kids Club program, "we wanted to do something extra." Bentley University, the city and Waltham Housing Authority also helped fundraise about $200,000. The group, in addition to its efforts in completing the Prospect Hill playground, is planning on opening a childcare center on the bottom floor of an empty daycare in October. The building will provide after-school programming for elementary- and middle school-aged children. "Prospect Hill is a community-there are 144 units and families live there-most of those units are single mother households with children and ... there are just about 40 different languages spoken among those families," Malo said. "A good percentage of the parents do not speak English at all. So the kids are used to being the English translators for the parents." When these groups came across the KaBoom application to build a playground, Brandeis took the lead on writing the grant, but all groups contributed throughout the entire process. KaBoom noted the potential of such a project and funded the grant proposal, which would also provide for two representatives from their home base in Washington, D.C. to train the volunteers and build all their playgrounds. There are about 12 subcommittees involved in the project, which include teams that focus on youth engagement, fundraising, media and the tool-collecting team. Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong is also on the committee, as well as Prof. Laura Goldin (AMST), chair of the Environmental Sustainability Team committee. "The most exciting thing is that we're working with the community and that's KaBoom's philosophy," Malo said. "We're building the playground together rather than bringing the playground to them." The residents of Prospect Hill, in the process, are helping to create donations, knocking on doors and securing food for breakfast and lunch on the day of the build. "I think we all assume we're part of the Brandeis family and then we go home and that might not be the community that we're living in, so I think it represents that we all come from different backgrounds," Malo said. Malo stressed the more long-term benefits of creating the playground. "We're really trying to get rid of the stigma that's attached to Prospect Hill, especially how it's not safe," he said. "We're all people and we're all trying to make ends meet and enjoy life." Corrections Appended: It was incorrectly stated that Brandeis signed the KaBoom playground grant. In fact, Bentley University was responsible for signing the grant, while Brandeis is one of the partners.
(08/26/13 4:00am)
After the University Board of Trustees held a meeting on Friday, May 17, University students can expect to see changes in course offerings and the campus' appearance, as well as initiatives by new Board Chair Perry M. Traquina '78. The meeting, which was also Malcolm Sherman's final meeting as Board Chair, included several votes. According to Provost Steve Goldstein's '78 statement on the strategic plan page of the University website, two weeks prior to the Board meeting, the University Advisory Council, which represents all the schools and academic divisions within the University, unanimously approved the final draft of the plan. The Advisory Council proceeded to recommend its presentation to the Board. "This summer we are beginning our discussions on implementation. This will be a community-wide effort, and once the school year begins anew in the fall, we will engage all members of the community on various implementation projects and really turn the powerful ideas encompassed in the plan into concrete actions," wrote Goldstein in an email to the Justice. "At this time, it would be premature to give specifics," Goldstein continued. In regard to improvement in the sciences, Goldstein explained that "the new Science Curriculum committee has been working to re-think many different aspects of the science curriculum." According to Goldstein, changes have already been made for the Biology major requirements. "The committee has done an excellent job and I am very excited about these changes, that will keep Brandeis student out in front of their peers." In regard to additional science classes for non-science majors, Goldstein explained that changes would also be made. "Teaching science to non-science majors is critically important as part of a liberal arts education and we expect to have on-going discussions about changes that will increase opportunities in this area," Goldstein wrote. According to Senior Vice President of Communications Ellen de Graffenreid, the capital budget that was passed included items regarding deferred maintenance. These projects include updates to East Quad, and new locations for the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and the Lemberg Children's Center. The operational budget, however, was passed in March. "Some of the investments will be very noticeable-like improvements in the dining halls and the grounds," wrote Traquina, who officially assumed his role following the commencement ceremony on May 19, as stated in the by-laws. "Other changes, like HVAC and infrastructure, are not as visible but are critically important aspects of maintaining the campus." According to Traquina, the Board also voted to approve tenure, promotion and appointments for several faculty members. In addition, members voted to approve the award of degrees for graduating students and a new degree program-an Master of Science in Strategic Analytics-at the May 17 meeting. According to Traquina, he is looking forward to his new role as chair. "Over the coming weeks and months I'll be working closely with President [Frederick] Lawrence and his team. I'll also be reaching out to members of the Brandeis community-professors, students, staff and [alumni]," he wrote in an email to the Justice. "I want to learn about their experiences so I will have a full picture of our Brandeis from all perspectives." Traquina explained that he would like to see more initiatives passed regarding affordability and financial aid. "My wife and I have created two endowed scholarship funds to help students afford a Brandeis education. We have been fortunate enough to meet many of those scholars, and it is very rewarding to see what they are able to do with the opportunities that Brandeis gives them," Traquina wrote. Traquina is also interested in incorporating technology into the curriculum and the expansion of faculty diversity. "At the end of the day, we need to create an academic experience that provides Brandeis students with an outstanding education," he wrote. The next Board meeting will be held in October.
(08/26/13 4:00am)
On July 19, the University launched a test-flexible admissions program, which will give Fall 2014 applicants more options for what they can submit to the University and will allow students to apply without submitting SAT I or ACT scores. The change places Brandeis in a group of several other colleges that do not require all applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores, including Smith College, Clark University and Wheaton College. After two years, the pilot program will be evaluated, at which point a formal proposal to maintain, expand, narrow or discontinue the program will be reviewed by the Faculty Senate. "The implementation of the test flexible pilot is more an evolution in the Brandeis admissions process than a revolution," Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel wrote in an email to the Justice. Flagel wrote that the goal of the pilot program is to provide a more accurate evaluation of all applicants. With the new program in place, prospective students will still be allowed to submit traditional applications, including SAT I or ACT scores. Under the added options, students may also submit either a combination of SAT II subject tests, International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement tests, or submit an enhanced portfolio. The enhanced academic portfolio includes a graded writing sample and an additional academic letter of recommendation. According to Flagel, the writing sample must be academic in nature, reference primary sources and be completed for a recent class the student took in an academic subject. "Graded papers and academic recommendations can provide admission committees with more insight than any set of tests," Flagel wrote. "In all cases this assumes academic records consistent with Brandeis' exceedingly high standards." The other test-flexible option requires that test scores for the SAT II, IB and AP exams be submitted from the following categories: Science or Math; English, History, Languages, Arts or Social Sciences; and a test from a discipline different than the applicant's choice from the first two options. According to Flagel, students are required to submit three test scores to provide data in enough areas to be useful in the admission evaluation process. The number of required test scores will be up for review upon examination of the pilot. Flagel said that there is no specific score that the University is looking for on any one SAT II, IB or AP exam. "Each of the tests have different score ranges, and the competitiveness of our process and intensiveness of our review is such that a specific number is meaningless outside the context of the full application," he wrote. "That being said, given the level of competition for admission to Brandeis the scores that will support admission are likely at the highest end of the score range, as is true for the ACT or SAT." SAT II subject, IB or AP test scores will be looked at individually in the admissions process and will not be aggregated. "This is consistent with our current practice, as aggregated SAT and ACT scores, while efficient to use and popular in the media, are less effective in a highly competitive, holistic review process in gaining understanding of student potential," Flagel wrote in an email to the Justice. Flagel explained that in the current model, standardized tests are used as supplemental information, and are "far less important" in the evaluation process than a student's academic record. Studies were and continue to be conducted to determine correlation between standardized test scores and college preparedness, questioning the validity of SAT and ACT scores in determining aptitude. The findings of researchers at Stanford University and the University of Chicago, highlighted by USA Today in June 2011, showed evidence that two of the four major sections of the ACT-science and reading-had "little or no" utility in helping colleges predict whether applicants would succeed. Despite the introduction of the test-flexible option, according to Flagel, no more than 10 percent of the incoming class will come from the pool of applicants who took the test-flexible option. "That being said, it is not possible to perfectly predict how many students will accept our offer of admission," he wrote. Flagel said in a statement released by the University that last year's application pool increase of over 13 percent makes now an ideal time to launch the pilot program. Flagel said he believes the existence of the pilot program might contribute to an increase in the application pool. According to Flagel, applications to Brandeis surged last year, and heexpects that trend to continue. "While the test-flexible pilot may contribute, it is the strength of our academic programs and distinctive campus community that are the driving force in our popularity," he wrote. Despite the potential increase in applicants, the selective nature of the University admissions process will remain. "In general most of the students admitted to Brandeis are already above the top 10 [percent] and I expect the test flexible admission program to be at least equally, and quite possibly even more, competitive," Flagel wrote. Flagel said in the statement that he hopes the University will take a national leadership role in modeling best practices in the use of standardized tests. "With competition for admission to Brandeis at an all time high, we must do all we can to be sure we are admitting the most qualified possible class. I am confident that this new model will continue our tradition of admitting academically gifted and motivated students with a passion for changing the world," he said. *
(08/26/13 4:00am)
John Unsworth, vice provost for library and technology services and chief information officer, is joining the National Council on the Humanities this year. Unsworth was nominated to the Council, which is the advisory board of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in December 2011. The Council, which consists of 26 members, advises the chairman of the NEH. Grants from the NEH help fund libraries, humanities programs at universities, and public radio and television, according to BrandeisNOW. "It's an honor to be nominated by the President [of the United States], and to be confirmed by the Senate," Unsworth said in an interview with the Justice. Unsworth's work with the NEH dates back to 1993, when he served as the director of the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia. "The NEH provided support for a number of projects at the Institute over the decade during which I was there, including The Rossetti Archive, The Walt Whitman Archive, The Waters of Rome, The Valley of the Shadow and a number of others," Unsworth said. "The appointment makes it possible for me to contribute in a new way to the national conversation about humanities scholarship, teaching, and innovation," Unsworth said. "More specifically, it will be an opportunity to have input on the NEH's funding programs and priorities, and to support the only federal funding agency focused entirely on the humanities." "I truly enjoy the variety of things that my job at Brandeis consists of," Unsworth said when asked about how he balances his different roles. "I like working with information technology, I love figuring out how to help people do their work more effectively, I admire our highly skilled information professionals-a category in which I include both librarians and technologists." He joined Brandeis in February 2012 after serving as the University of Illionois Urbana-Champlain's dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science for nine years. Unsworth said he believes the humanities are important because "life is short. The humanities offer us the best way to understand more lives than the one we live." *
(07/17/13 4:00am)
After a drawn-out contract negotiation with online learning company 2U, the University announced last month that it will offer two online undergraduate courses through the Semester Online program in the Spring 2014 semester. The courses will be "Psychological and Socio-Cultural Perspectives on Health," taught by Prof. Ellen J. Wright (PSY), and "The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament: Then and Now," taught by Prof. Marc Brettler (NEJS), according to a June 11 BrandeisNOW press release. This development means that Brandeis students will be able to take any of the several courses offered by various schools through the Semester Online program for full credits starting in the spring. According to the press release, the psychology course "surveys topics in psychology, sociology and anthropology and analyzes the relevance of these three disciplines for the mental and physical health of individuals and societies," while the Near Eastern and Judaic StudiesS course "explores the meaning of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in its original ancient Near Eastern context, and how this compares to the uses made of the Bible now." "We are excited to launch these courses in the spring and receive feedback from our professors about the experience of teaching through Semester Online," said Provost Steve Goldstein '78 according to the press release. "In addition, we will be following up with students who decide to take courses from consortium partners to learn from their experience." Goldstein continued to say that these courses are "just one way in which Brandeis is exploring and assessing best practices in the rapidly evolving area of online education." In an email to the Justice, Wright expressed reservations but also excitement about being one of the pioneers of a new kind of teaching. "I think that online/distance learning is the wave of the future," she wrote. "Distance learning is a natural outgrowth of our increasing reliance on technology. I have concerns about how this decreases real psychological contact between human beings, and how distant we are growing as a society. This was one of my main objections to Brandeis utilizing online learning." However, she continued to say that the program has developed differently than she anticipated. " "The more I have learned about this process and the more contact I have had with the online company with whom we are partnering, the more I realize how much this process is very creative. Creating this class is going to stretch me, and collaborating with members of the sociology and anthropology departments will be very enriching." Though not available to Brandeis students until the spring, Semester Online is kicking off this fall, with Boston College, Emory University, Northwestern University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame and Washington University in St. Louis all offering classes. None of the courses, which are in subjects such as history, business and political science, are in the so-called "hard sciences." Goldstein, Brettler and Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
(05/20/13 4:00am)
Disclaimer: Before this week, I had never actually seen a Star Trek movie or television episode and can't call myself a true fan. But after watching Star Trek Into Darkness on its opening weekend, I am a newly-converted Trekkie. Though die-hard fans may have their qualms with the most recent installment, I thought director J.J. Abrams created a true science fiction action film that also captures the emotional themes of the story. Clearly other moviegoers agree, because Star Trek currently holds the number one spot at the box office, beating out Iron Man 3 and The Great Gatsby. The movie opens with Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine) and Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy (Karl Urban) frantically running through the jungle of Nibiru, chased by a brigade of the planet's primitive inhabitants. Though probably overlooked by some, I thought the costume of the natives was absolutely stunning-they were painted in thick white paint, with piercing black eyes that so adeptly convinced me of their innocent nature. But, of course, Kirk goes a bit rogue and is summoned to the Starfleet Command, where his ship Enterprise is taken away. However, with a dramatic turn of events, the central command is attacked by Commander John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Kirk vows to avenge Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood), his father figure and mentor. Kirk reunites with Spock (Zachary Quinto), and they set off on the Enterprise to find Harrison. Their search takes them into the enemy territory of the Klingons, but Harrison quickly surrenders-reason unknown-and reveals himself as Kahn, a genetically enhanced superhuman. Kahn may be deadly, but the crew ultimately turns to him for help when under attack. The scenes that took place in outer space, as well as the space stations and ships, were well done, giving me hope that Abrams will do Star Wars justice when he directs it over the next two years. With a run-time of over two hours, visually capturing the audience is incredibly important. In terms of dialogue, there were opportunities to develop more background and plot. Cumberbatch, as Kahn, could have embraced his role as the villain more, and until the last few scenes, his raw anger remained hidden. His utter coldness and dark stare are effective, yet his scenes with Kirk could have been more powerful and failed to illicit more of a reaction from me. In one particular scene, Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) powerfully addresses Kahn with much at stake-he delivers one line incredibly well, but the moment could have been much stronger. Spock and Kirk's relationship in the movie verges on dysfunctional most of the time because the two are so different. As a Vulcan, Spock is deeply logical, which sometimes comes across as cold-hearted. However, the film shows that he truly does care and I really appreciated the evolution of his character over the course of the movie. In addition, Spock's relationship with Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) could have been more pronounced, but its subtlety allowed their relationship not to dominate the plot. Quinto is flawless as Spock, from his facial expressions to tone of voice, and his emotional realizations make for some of the most touching moments in the entire movie. Kirk struggles with issues of morality when faced with challenging events and Pine proves he is more than just a pretty face in this role. His character may be reckless at times, but Pine depicts Kirk's personal growth well. In the end of the film, Kirk is truly selfless and he gives a touching performance, especially in his emotional moment with Spock. Not to be overlooked, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg) completely captured my attention with his slightly nervous, hesitant demeanor. Pegg deserves recognition for his supporting role and his interactions with Pine. As well, Noel Clarke, who plays a father desperate to save his ailing daughter, commands the screen in the short time he is in the movie. Star Trek Into Darkness, though not life-changing or revolutionary, upholds the legacy of its predecessors. There could have been more plot development and meaningful dialogue, but it fully met my expectations of a science fiction film. But on that note, the movie was easily accessible to an audience-like myself-who had no previous knowledge of Star Trek's world of space exploration.
(05/20/13 4:00am)
Last Thursday evening, the Boston Museum of Science held an exclusive preview of its newest exhibit, The Dead Sea Scrolls: Life in Ancient Times, where visitors had the chance to see the New England premiere of the scrolls and accompanying artifacts through a guided exhibit tour. The exhibit, which is the product of a partnership between the museum and the Israel Antiquities Authority, opened to the public on Sunday, and will remain open through October 20. Brandeis has a special connection to the exhibit, as the University is the educational partner of Life in Ancient Times. Upon arrival, visitors gathered in the museum's beautiful Pierce Atrium for a dinner reception, accompanied by a continuous stream of jazz music. The largely adult crowd happily chatted as the sun began to set through the atrium's floor-to-ceiling window, and they shortly gathered around a podium at the back of the room for a welcome address. Exhibit curator Dr. Risa Levitt Kohn, a professor of Hebrew Bible and Judaism at San Diego State University who has curated countless Dead Sea Scrolls exhibits around the country, elegantly gave the visitors an idea of what they were to see. The scrolls are the oldest known copy of writings that are today found in the Hebrew Bible. The scrolls, she said, are almost a thousand years older than the next biblical source found, and are largely not just concerned with biblical content, but instead hold writings that are liturgical, psalmic, legal and commentaries, and that together, they "provide a spiritual map of ancient Israel." Visitors were led into the exhibit by a guide in staggered, scheduled groups, so that everyone had enough time to see all of the artifacts and read the carefully placed placards that prefaced each section of the exhibit. Walking up the staircase to the upper level of the atrium, where the exhibit is staged, I was very excited and hardly had an idea what to expect to see. I was able to join the first group of visitors, and we were ushered down a hallway and into a large room, walls and ceiling painted black, the floor around the perimeter of the room covered with sand. At the entrance to the room, projected onto the black walls in bright, white-lighted script was Genesis 12:1, in English, Greek and Hebrew, reading: "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.'" Six large projection screens were hung on the walls, surrounding us with calming footage of the Dead Sea shore at sunrise, as the guide launched into a pristine monologue about the story of the modern rediscovery of the scrolls. In 1947, the year before Israel declared its independence, a Bedouin goat herder tossed a rock into a cave along the shore, and when he heard the rock break a pottery jar from within the cave, he investigated- what he found was a priceless cache, countless pottery jars holding the miraculously-preserved scrolls. The scrolls were hidden near the site of the ancient community of Qumran, whose ruins have since been excavated extensively. As we moved into the next room of the exhibit, we were presented with various artifacts found in the ruins of Qumran. The exhibit teaches visitors about this ancient people who were responsible for the scrolls by way of examining their belongings, constructing a careful historical picture of the time in which the scrolls were written. After winding around a dividing wall and seeing countless artifacts of ancient life, the exhibit opened up into a much larger space, centered around a massive, gingerly lit glass table. Fragments of the scrolls were preserved in the light and temperature-controlled glass, and visitors flocked eagerly to see what they could. The scrolls themselves were preserved in shreds, torn or worn pieces, recorded in beautifully written ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Nabataean. I was shocked at how fractal the fragments of the scrolls that we have now actually are-seeing the sacred writings in real life, for me, carried a much greater weight than I have felt from seeing pictures of them in textbooks. The Life in Ancient Times exhibit is a point of academic and cultural pride for Brandeis, and I am sure that I echo the sentiments of many of our faculty and students when I say that I am very happy that our institution had the chance to partner in such an endeavor. *
(05/20/13 4:00am)
In the fall, students will find an updated East Quad on move-in day. New locations for the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and the Lemberg Children's Center will also be underway. As of Friday, the Board of Trustees approved a four-fold increase in the budget for deferred maintenance on campus. In the approved budget, $10 million will be allocated to these past-due construction and maintenance jobs each year for the next 10 years, up from $2.5 million. The money will go toward updating East Quad and Schwartz 106, the auditorium in Schwartz Hall, among other projects. The construction will not bring radical changes, but it will be widespread and noticeable, said Provost Steve Goldstein '78 at Friday's faculty meeting. "Our offices, our classes-everything about this place will really benefit from $100 million over the next 10 years." "Some of the dorms like East, where we'll be working, have the exact same facilities, walls, paint and doors that they did when I was here as an undergraduate, and that's too long ago," said Goldstein. Of the Schwartz renovation, Goldstein said he anticipated this would only be the beginning of updates to social science facilities. "This will really allow us to ... begin to change the experience in the middle campus social science quad," he said. The childcare center will also be moving to new, more suitable facilities on South Street, pending some construction, which is already underway, said Goldstein. This relocation will allow the Crown Center to find its permanent home in the former Lemberg building. The Crown family donated an undisclosed amount of money early in the academic year that will fund renovation of Lemberg and the move to a permanent space. Senior Vice President of Administration Mark Collins could not be reached for comment by press time.
(05/20/13 4:00am)
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Michaele Whelan is leaving Brandeis after 12 years to take over as the chief academic officer at Emerson College, a position comparable to that of provost, according to Whelan. Associate Vice President of University Affairs Dr. John Hose and seven other faculty members will be leaving the University and retiring from academia. "I've gotten to know all of the faculty really well, and I came in here because the faculty were so extraordinary, and just really talented, dedicated people," said Whelan in an interview with the Justice. "[Provost] Steve Goldstein ['78] is really a big ideas person, really visionary," said Whelan. "I've had a lot of fun working with him ... and he's built the senior leadership team. It's been great to work with ... all these people because you get a sense of camaraderie and synthesis bringing things together." Whelan has also taught at least one semester per year, and said that "the students are equally wonderful." Whelan began her career at Brandeis as associate provost, and was promoted to vice provost. In addition, she has acted as the head of the Rabb School of Continuing Studies. "When I came that was one degree program, and now we're eight degree programs, and we have an endowment for the Lifelong Learning Program. So, you know, that's a lot of growth for a school that's focused on accessibility and not traditional students," she said. During her time at the University, Whelan has worked on several "large-scale initiatives," including the reaccreditation for the New England Association for Schools and Colleges, making connections with other schools such as Middlebury College and Al-Quds University, running Brandeis in the Berkshires-an outreach program-and acting as a liaison to the Brandeis National Committee. Although Whelan said that she is upset about leaving Brandeis, she is excited to have the chance to be a chief academic leader and "set a certain kind of vision." "Emerson's obviously a really attractive school that got a new president who's very visionary," said Whelan. "They have a new strategic plan, they're going to have a [Los Angeles] campus and focus more on global initiatives, so it's an exciting place to be. And it's liberal arts and arts, which is more my background." "It is impossible to say how much she's done for Brandeis and how grateful we are," said Goldstein of Whelan at the faculty meeting on May 17. Hose will be leaving after 30 years of acting "as a close advisor to four of the University's eight presidents," as University President Frederick Lawrence stated in a community message on the University website. According to Hose, he started at Brandeis on July 1, 1983 as the executive assistant to the then newly-named president Evelyn Handler. He has been instrumental in the operation of the Office of the President, and provided administrative support for the Board of Trustees for a number of years. Along with providing administrative work for the Board of Trustees, Hose has also administered the Mortimer Hays-Brandeis Traveling Fellowship, the Joseph B. & Toby Gittler Prize and the Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life, according to Lawrence's message. In addition, he represented Brandeis as the representative to the Board of Governors of a publishing consortium known as the University Press of New England. Hose has also served as an academic adviser for undergraduates and as a member of the Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright Committees. "For many years, John has been the 'Voice of Brandeis' at Commencement and served as a consultant on issues of academic presentation and protocol," wrote Lawrence. "He will always be a cherished member of the Brandeis family." Hose reflected on his time at Brandeis. "There have been many memorable moments, but the ones that are most memorable, as well as meaningful, for me personally are the contacts with the many students who have been my formal and informal academic advisees over the last 20 years," wrote Hose in an email to the Justice. Hose wrote that he has no immediate plans for his retirement. Prof. Marty Krauss (Heller) retired as of Sept. 1, 2012, but will continue on the board of advisers. According to Krauss, she had been on the faculty of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management since 1984, and was the John Stein Professor of Disability Policy. She was also a faculty member of the Sociology department. Krauss acted as the associate dean of the Heller school prior to becoming provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, a position that she held from 2003 to 2011. Prof. Adam Jaffe (ECON) is retiring after starting his Brandeis career in 1994. Jaffe wrote in an email to the Justice that his greatest achievement at the University was acting as the Dean of Arts and Sciences from 2003 to 2011. "About 40 [percent] of the current [arts and sciences] faculty were either hired or promoted by me. I helped to shepherd [the arts and sciences] through the difficulties brought on by the financial crisis in 2008," Jaffe wrote. Jaffe is currently in Wellington, New Zealand, and has taken the position of director of Motu Economic and Public Policy Research. Prof. Silvia Arrom (HIST) taught Latin American and Latino History for 35 years, 22 of which were at Brandeis. According to Arrom, she taught at Indiana University and Yale University prior to teaching at Brandeis. Arrom described one of many memorable moments at the University. "Perhaps my greatest satisfaction came from directing the Latin American & Latino Studies program for 14 years, and working with my wonderful colleagues, students, and generous donors to build this gem of a program and raise the visibility of Latin America at Brandeis," she wrote in an email to the Justice. After she retires, Arrom plans to continue doing research, writing and mentoring young scholars of Latin America. "I also plan to spend more time with my family-including my new grandson-and travelling to places I could never go because of my academic commitments," she wrote. Among the other retiring faculty members are Prof. Dave Jacobson (ANTH), who was unable to comment by press time; Prof. Ibrahim Sundiata (HIST); Prof. Richard Lansing (COML),who was unable to comment by press time, and Prof. Hiroko Sekino (GRALL). -Tate Herbert contributed reporting
(05/20/13 4:00am)
The University's planned collaboration with a consortium of colleges and universities and online education company 2U has altered due to the fact that three of the original 10 institutions involved have dropped out of the partnership, according to a May 17 article from Inside Higher Ed. Brandeis has also decided not to offer online courses this fall, due to the fact that the University has yet to sign a into a final agreement with 2U, according to Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Michaele Whelan. "Brandeis has been thinking about it and investigating carefully all year long," said Whelan in an interview with the Justice. "There were many universities that were considering it, so it's not as if there's some sudden change that some are doing it and some aren't ... [That's always been the case," Whelan said. "We continue to be excited about 2U as one approach to on-line learning that we are interested in exploring," added Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren in an email to the Justice. "While we still have many details to work out at this point our expectation is that we will begin offering 2U courses in the Spring semester 2014 and we will begil to allow student sign up for other 2U courses at that time. Regardless, the arrangement will not go forward as initially advertised when it was announced in the fall. The schools that have backed out are Duke University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Rochester, citing concerns such as faculty frustration and limited course offerings. Another of the original 10, Wake Forest University, is "on the fence" about their participation in 2U this fall, according to the Inside Higher Ed article. When asked when or if the University would sign an agreement with 2U, Whelan said, "I think we have to continue to talk with faculty and others about it." -Sam Mintz
(05/19/13 4:00am)
The University announced this year's recipients of the Bronfman Brandeis-Israel Research Collaboration funding. The five projects are intended to encourage joint projects between Brandeis faculty and faculty at Israeli universities. According to a Feb. 6, 2012 BrandeisNOW article, the Brandeis-Israel Collaborative Research Initiative was made possible by funding to the University from Bronfman Philanthropies. As stated on the Bronfman Philanthropies website, the organization is "a family of charitable foundations operating in Canada, Israel, and the United States. [Its] mission is to encourage young people to strengthen their knowledge of their heritage, history and culture, as well as support programs to improve the quality of life in Israel." Awards cover research costs for the initial stage of projects and travel funds to allow meetings of the research teams, according to an April 29 BrandeisNOW article. The first project that was awarded funding is a collaboration between Prof. Dan Perlman (BIOL) and the dean of the Division of Continuing Education and External Studies at the Technion in Haifa, Israel. Perlman and Yehudit Judy Dori, a professor at the Technion, will study long-term retention among students in higher education and core science learning, according to the BrandeisNOW article. According to Perlman, the two will work together at Brandeis. "We will be surveying and interviewing students of the past 20+ years who had deeply intensive educational experiences, along with a matched group of college students from the same schools who did not have similar experiences," he wrote in an email to the Justice. The second project that was awarded funding is a collaboration between three members of the Brandeis faculty-including Prof. Daniel Kryder (POL), Prof. Susan S. Lanser (ENG) and Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life and director of the Brandeis Al-Quds Partnership Daniel Terris-and three members of the faculty and administration at Al-Quds University, a Palestinian institution in the West Bank. The team plans to research the kinds of curricular and pedagogical frameworks that are most effective at fostering civic engagement in developing democratic societies. According to Terris, the project will build on an existing collaboration between the two universities of over 10 years. This project in particular will "strengthen scholarship and teaching at both institutions" and "develop some publishable research related to democratic engagement," Terris wrote in an email to the Justice. The team will communicate both online as well as during a 10-day in-person visit to Al-Quds. Terris commented on the value of such a collaboration. "The Brandeis/Al-Quds partnership has been important in introducing many members of the Brandeis community to Palestinian counterparts who are eager to work together on issues of mutual interest and benefit. This includes thinking about large issues of peace and justice, but it also means simply working together across divides on questions of scholarship, teaching, and academic excellence," he wrote. The third funded project is a collaboration between the Rose Art Museum and the Israel Museum to develop the first phase in a series of three exhibitions during 2014 and 2015 to be featured at both museums. Brandeis participants will be Christopher Bedford, the Henry and Lois Foster director of the Rose, and Gannit Ankori, chair in Israeli art in the Department of Fine Arts and the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies. According to Bedford, the research will focus on new video art from Israel. "This unmediated experience in Israel is intended to insure that the work we bring to the Rose and present to our audience is not simply reflective of those artists exported to the U.S. by commercial galleries and biennial structures, but by work identified by the curators as making significant contributions to the contemporary art worlds in Israel today," he wrote in an email to the Justice. Bedford wrote that the team will visit artists' studios, galleries and museums to choose the most significant works. Gannit said he hopes that this collaboration remains as a long-term collaboration, and that the project will enhance the Rose's global reach. "The Israel Museum is a world-renowned encyclopedic museum with an incredible collection. The Rose is much smaller and is known mainly in the greater Boston area for its unparalleled, but more focused collection of modern and contemporary art," he wrote in an email to the Justice. The fourth project is a study of ongoing reforms to Israel's mental health system involving the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, a center for applied research on social policy and services in Israel, and faculty of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, including Prof. Dominic Hodgkin (Heller), associate dean for research Prof. Constance M. Horgan (Heller) and Prof. Stuart Altman (Heller). According to Hodgkin, new reforms in Israel hold private health plans responsible for managing and delivering mental health services, instead of the government, which had previously been responsible. "The change has some parallels to recent experiences in the US mental health system, so there's room for Americans and Israelis to learn from each other," he wrote in an email to the Justice. Hodgkin explained that the team will hold monthly video conference calls, that two members of the Israeli team will visit Boston to meet with the participants at Brandeis and that several of the Brandeis participants will visit Jerusalem to meet with the Israeli researchers, in addition to government officials. "The project itself is quite small, but it could lead to spinoff work involving other Brandeis researchers around health policy issues," wrote Hodgkin. "Those could create opportunities for students to get involved. Also, our teaching will be able to use more examples from Israel." The final recipient of funding is a collaboration between Prof. Wendy Cadge (SOC) and Associate Professor of Sociology Michal Pagis of Bar Ilan University to investigate the diffusion of religious practices into secular medical spheres in Israel. A committee worked together to decide the winners of the funding from Bronfman Philanthropies. "We received more than twice as many applications as we did last year, and could easily have funded several additional outstanding projects if we had more resources," said committee chair Irving Epstein, who is senior adviser to the provost for research and the Henry F. Fischbach Professor of Chemistry, to BrandeisNOW. "The program clearly addresses an important need, and we are grateful to the Bronfman Philanthropies for supporting it." *
(05/19/13 4:00am)
Autism, which affects one in 88 children, is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States. Autism spectrum disorders consist of a range of neurological disorders characterized by challenges with both verbal and nonverbal communication, difficulties with social interaction and repeated behaviors. There is no cure for the disability, but new technologies help people like Carly Fleischmann bring awareness to autism with their stories and improve their lives through enhanced communication. Arthur Fleischmann '84 wrote a book published in 2012 about his daughter, Carly, who was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old. After an appearance on 20/20 during which he told part of Carly's story, Fleischmann was encouraged to narrate his family's experiences with their daughter's autism, which he did from his point of view in Carly's Voice. The book's title is a nod to the way her story reaches people who do not necessarily understand her disorder, as well as people who live with it. In addition to autism, her developmental delay and oral-motor apraxia make her unable to speak. Through technology and this book, however, Carly has gained another form of communication. Carly, now 18, lives with her parents, her twin sister Taryn and their older brother Matthew, who is 23. She enjoys typical teenage activities like listening to music, being with friends, reading books and seeing movies, but "she finds crowds to be challenging, so going to malls or that sort of thing can be very hard on her," Fleischmann said in an interview with the Justice. "She has a pretty ... programmed life because repetition and routine works out much better for her than surprises or variation." According to Fleischmann, Carly's greatest challenge is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, an anxiety-based disorder which "makes her do things that she knows are wrong ... like feeling like she has to shred something up or empty an entire container of something. If she doesn't do what her body craves doing, she says it actually causes her physical pain," Fleischmann said. Because of the pain, she reacts with shrieking and pounding her fists at times. Carly employs meditation, relaxation and yoga to help control her OCD. Besides her difficulty with OCD, Carly also struggles with daily habits that others take for granted, including typing, which she does slowly with one finger. She works with an occupational therapist to help her with some basic motor skills, like tying her shoes and preparing snacks. Carly feels, however, "like someone always has to supervise her, help her, shadow her," through her routine. "[While] she still has a number of physical and behavioral challenges, intellectually she has no challenges. In fact, she is highly intelligent. Her last IQ test put her somewhere between 120 and 130," Fleischmann said. Carly has made such progress academically that she was recently accepted to the University of Toronto, where she will be working toward a Bachelor of Arts in the fall. Carly has attended a range of schools, from public schools, to private schools, to schools specifically for people with autism. Carly prefers not to attend schools for autistic individuals, however, because she does not want autism to define her, according to Fleischmann. She performs well in the classes she takes, but she is unable to take certain math and science classes because she cannot grip a pen, although she has demonstrated that she can solve problems in her head. Carly has a clear understanding of her condition. A few years ago, Fleischmann's wife, Tammy, asked Carly if she knew what autism was, to which Carly typed, "it's something I have that other people don't like to see." Fleischmann says she types how she feels about the disorder and says she feels "like her body traps her and doesn't let her do the things that she wants to do." Facebook and Twitter have been essential outlets for Carly to express how she feels about her disorder, as she has not developed any spoken communication. Her Facebook page currently has over 93,000 likes and she has over 43,000 followers on Twitter. Her posts include messages such as "Just because words don't come out of your mouth doesn't mean we have nothing to say" and "I am off to Washington DC on Monday and I'm trying to get some meetings with some senators. Elizabeth Warren has agreed to sit down with me and talk autism." The technology Carly uses to communicate on a daily basis with her family, therapist and peers changes constantly. At first, the family was unaware that Carly could access words. They used picture cards to understand what Carly wanted to say, but then discovered she could write. Now, she uses programs that are always evolving, including apps on the iPad with preprogrammed phrases that read out loud with the press of a button, which works especially well in an academic environment with other students. "I think she likes the fact that somebody with a disability who was told would never communicate, would never have a life outside a group home, has this ability to communicate and inspire so many people around the world," Fleischmann said. Because of her love for expressing herself in writing, Fleischmann asked Carly about the idea of writing her story in a book. She thought it was a good idea because while articles and blogs are a few hundred words, they both thought a book could tell their whole story including both hardships and breakthroughs. There are some parts of her autism that Fleischmann knows Carly appreciates, like the ways she thinks, hears and sees, including her photographic memory, "which she would never give up," according to Fleischmann. Another part of her autism that empowers Carly is her ability to show people who she really is and what she can do. "She likes surprising people. People look at her and assume she is incapable, and then she does these things that are so awe-inspiring, and I think she likes that ability to shock people," Fleischmann said. Fleischmann said he has the greatest aspirations for his daughter. "Carly doesn't need any help coming up with visions and plans and dreams. While some teenagers need direction and encouragement, she is a very hardworking, self-directed kid."
(04/30/13 4:00am)
This past Tuesday, Cooper Union, a prestigious engineering school in New York, announced the unprecedented decision to begin charging tuition. Like Brandeis and hundreds of other universities across the country, Cooper Union is scrambling to find ways to meet their annual budget. The widespread financial woes currently facing higher education are clear. How do you think they can be resolved? Prof. Michael Coiner (ECON) There are many disturbing trends, and they are not recent developments-they go back many decades. The cost of college has been rising faster than the rate of inflation, government aid has not kept pace, an increasing part of the burden falls on families and an increasing part of the burden falls on the student generation (rather than the parent generation), often in the form of loans. Four-year colleges are becoming unaffordable for all but the most stellar low-income students. Increased government aid for higher education (in the form of grants, not loans) would help, but politically that seems unlikely. I think in the future we will see higher education delivered at a lower cost: more online courses, greater popularity of "commuter" schools and more reliance on credentials other than a bachelor's degree. If that happens, some of the positive aspects of the college experience will be lost. Michael Coiner is an associate professor of Economics with an expertise in the economics of higher education. Josh Horowitz '14 The underfunding of educational institutions is a problem that affects everyone. By being forced to charge more, or at all in this case, we edge out those in our communities that cannot afford the cost. Education should not be given solely for those who can afford it. I think one way we can solve this problem is by not overfunding an already bloated defense budget and redistributing some of that money to federal education efforts. When the government doesn't help subsidize education, taxpayers are on the hook to help subsidize their local schools and when they don't, the schools suffer. Just because someone lives in a bad area doesn't mean they should be subject to a lesser education. We need to make sure that federal money finds its way to the proper places where it can do the most good instead of being used on programs that are bloated and overfunded. Josh Horowitz '14 is a Computer Science major, a member of TRON, and an editor for the Justice. Aaron Fried '14 In any business, when prices undesirably rise, the first and most obvious step is to cut costs. Every institution of higher education, from liberal arts colleges like Brandeis to engineering schools like Cooper Union, should constantly and ruthlessly seek out and cut waste in order to bring only the most up-to-date and efficient services to their students. More importantly, however, colleges and universities need to streamline the process by which they disseminate information. It's 2013, and the traditional brick-and-mortar educational institution of the past is outdated and obsolete. In today's digital age, the entire contents of a university library can fit on a hard drive, and professors can reach all of their students over the web, as Michael Sandel '15 has begun to demonstrate. Digital technology allows for unprecedented efficiency in making education accessible and inexpensive, and universities should act as trailblazers in this new cost-cutting opportunity. Aaron Fried '14 is the president of Young Americans for Liberty and a columnist for the Justice. Henry Loughlin '14 Rising costs and needs are the root causes of financial problems within the educational world. When financial hardship falls upon an entity, it usually manifests itself through multiple routes of impact and affects multiple areas. However, while this is certainly a tough time for any educational institution financially, it's important to realize that not everyone is suffering; there are plenty of other businesses who are making stratospheric profits. While admittedly a selective school, accepting less than 10 percent of applicants, Cooper Union has long been known for its pledge to provide a free education to its high-performing students. It should seek to create alliances with successful and prospering companies-perhaps engineering or architecture firms-who value the common good to create alliances to help Cooper Union sustain its promise. Certain businesses continue to prosper; why can't they lend a helping hand to educational institutions that are responsible for training and educating future employees? If there is ever a time to sustain affordable education, it is now. Henry Loughlin is a Politics and American Studies major and an editor for the Justice.
(04/23/13 4:00am)
This past Thursday, the recipients of the 2013 Jacob Heskel Gabbay Award in Biotechnology and Medicine were announced. They are Gero Miesenb?dck of the University of Oxford, Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University and Edward S. Boyden of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for their work in the field of optogenetics. This technology allows scientists to view and control circuits in the brain using light. The award, which was established in 1998 by the trustees of the Jacob and Louise Gabbay Foundation, is administered by the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center at Brandeis. The nominees are chosen by a panel of researchers from the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, according to BrandeisNOW. The recipients are "scientists in academia, medicine, or industry whose work has outstanding scientific content and significant practical consequences in the biomedical sciences," according to the Rosenstiel website. Miesenb?dck, the Waynflete Professor of Physiology and director of the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour at the University of Oxford, has invented techniques in optogenetics research, using light to control nerve cells and observing neural circuits in flies, according to CNCB's website. Deisseroth is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and the D.H. Chen Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford. His laboratory at Stanford has developed optogenetics technologies that help control and map neural behavior in mammals, according to his laboratory's website. Boyden, associate professor at the MIT Media Lab and joint professor of biological engineering and of brain and cognitive sciences, leads the Synthetic Neurobiology Group at MIT. His group researches neural circuits and their connection to neurobiological and psychiatric disorders, according to BrandeisNOW. Past recipients of the award include researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine, Washington State University, the Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Harvard Medical School, for research in fields such as breast cancer treatment, assisted human reproduction and treatment for autoimmune diseases, according to the Rosenstiel website. The scientists will formally receive the award, which consists of a $15,000 cash prize, to be shared if there are multiple recipients, and a medallion at a symposium on Oct. 10. Each recipient will present his work in a lecture, followed by a formal dinner. *
