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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Persues Project awarded $2.8 million
The Perseus Project, a digital library of resources on the ancient
world, has received a $2.8 million grant from an alliance of federal
agencies, including the National Science Foundation, NASA, the National
Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress. The grant
will support the Perseus Digital Library for the Humanities, which
will reexamine the nature of documents that form the building blocks
of digital libraries. Greg Crane, classics professor and editor-in-chief
of the Perseus Project (www.perseus.tufts.edu), said the grant comes
at a time when radically new ideas are changing how information
is shared. "We can now, for example, imagine publishing archaeological
reports as integrated multimedia databases," he said. "But
even well-established documents, such as dictionaries, can be rethought
to take advantage of the digital environment." Initially a
vast digital library on Greco-Roman culture, Perseus has developed
partnerships with a range of organizations in the humanities, including
the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, the Modern Language Association,
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and special collections at Brandeis,
the University of Pennsylvania and Tufts.
Initiative focuses on children and families
A campuswide effort to promote the well-being of children, their
families and their communities began this spring with the creation
of the Tufts University Center for Children (TUCC).Among its goals,
TUCC hopes to increase research on child development, health and
policy; to heighten public awareness of the needs of children, and
to influence public opinion and public policy. TUCC also will serve
as a clearinghouse for projects and expertise, match partners and
resources within the university and hold workshops and conferences.
Currently, more than 60 faculty members are participating in TUCC.
University names three new overseers
Tufts has named three new overseers to further assist the President
and the Board of Trustees. The appointments and their respective
board affiliations are: Cheryl Chase, J75, J03P, Executive Vice
President, Secretary and General Counsel D.T. Chase Enterprises,
Inc., Hartford, CT, Nutrition; Trustee John L. Dowling, A59, Dowling
& Co., New York, NY, Arts and Sciences; George T. Votis, A83,
Chairman of the Board, Galt Industries Inc. & Moll Industries,
world headquarters in New York, NY, International.
Award supports humanitarian program
The university has been awarded a prestigious Henry R. Luce Professorship
as part of a new cross-university program in Science and Humanitarianism.
The award, totaling nearly $750,000, will help create the nation's
first program to link science with relief efforts. The Luce Professor
will be a member of the biology department, while the Humanitarian
Studies program will be overseen by Dr. John Hammock, director of
the School of Nutrition's Feinstein International Famine Center.
The award also helps establish a program that aims to develop more
integrated and effective relief aid. The initiative reflects the
belief that current relief programs are often inappropriate and
can in fact cause lasting damage to victims. "Bringing science
and humanitarian studies together is a bold step in helping people
ravaged by war and hunger," said Hammock.
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ALUMNI
New Head of Alumni Relations Named
 Timothy D. Brooks, assistant vice president
for alumni relations at Fordham University, has been appointed the
new director of alumni relations. Brooks will replace Ron Brinn,
A58, who leaves Tufts in December after 16 years of distinguished
service.
"I am very excited about taking on this responsibility and
working with a very distinguished team of professionals at Tufts,"
said Brooks. "The achievements of Tufts alumni are outstanding,
and their strong loyalty to their alma mater guarantees that we'll
be able to advance the institution in many important ways, ever
increasing the value of their degree. I also congratulate Ron Brinn
and his staff for the many years of dedicated service they've provided
to Tufts and its many constituents. I am honored to be taking this
appointment, and will work diligently to carry on the many fine
traditions, as well as help create many new ones."
Elliott Lerman, E65, president of the Tufts University Alumni Association,
said, "I look forward to working closely with Tim on behalf
of the Association as we build on the solid foundation laid by Ron
Brinn. Tim brings a solid background in alumni relations work and
impressed us all throughout the interviewing process. The TUAA,
through the Tufts Alumni Council, wants to thank Senior Vice President
Tom Murnane and the administration for ensuring that we participated
fully in the selection process."
In 1994, Brooks joined Fordham where he was responsible for alumni
relations programs serving more than 100,000 constituents. At Fordham,
he defined the organization's image and identity, revitalized its
national network of volunteers, expanded travel programs and other
revenue-generating ventures and improved communication pieces. From
1985 to 1994 he was involved with The Ohio State University Alumni
Association, where he rose from assistant field director to vice
president of field operations, overseeing 180 alumni clubs worldwide.
His prior experience also includes service as a Rotary International
Ambassadorial Scholar in 1984 to promote international peace and
understanding in Cape Town, South Africa. He also held leadership
positions in the Upper Arlington Rotary Club in central Ohio. Brooks
is a 1979 graduate of The Ohio State University, where he also earned
a master's in 1983.
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ATHLETICS
Bill Gehling: Taking Jumbo Pride in Tufts
 Tufts' new director of athletics has plenty of experience
to his credit. The 1974 graduate started coaching women's soccer
in 1979, and for the past 12 years he has been assistant and associate
athletic director. After 20 years with Tufts athletics, Bill Gehling
says there are yet more challenges ahead.
"There is a world of difference between being the one behind
the scenes and the person at the front, between being a trusted
associate and the person directing the process," said Gehling.
"I look forward to supervising a tremendous staff and implementing
some thoughts and ideas I've had over the years."
Gehling replaces Rocky Carzo, who is retiring following 33 years
at Tufts, including 25 as athletic director. "Bill has a real
lean toward being well organized and his work reflects that,"
Carzo said. "His work with the budget and scheduling along
with personnel and facility issues has been very thorough and well
thought out. He's been tested under the pressures that come up with
this job and has always stood up strong. Plus, there's no question
about Bill's passion for all sports and those who participate and
surround them."
Gehling certainly needs no introduction to Jumbo fans. Hired to
coach the new women's soccer program in 1979, he guided the Jumbos
to the NCAA national quarterfinals last fall. From 1979 to 1998
he compiled a 165-90-36 record for a 62.9 winning percentage. In
addition to last year's NCAA regional championship, his 1985, 1988
and 1996 teams won New England regional tournament championships.
He has also served as head golf coach and assistant women's basketball
coach at Tufts.
Gehling also has advanced to leadership roles within college soccer.
He is chair of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship Committee and
served as president of the New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer
Association for three years.
Gehling's Tufts connections are something for the record book as
well. His parents, John and Madge (Brown) Gehling met at Tufts and
graduated together in 1943. His older sister, Martha Gehling Murray,
graduated in 1968. His nephew, Russell, graduated in 1995, and his
younger brother, Tim, graduated in 1980, as did Tim's wife, Ruth
Krakowsky.
Gehling, who enjoyed a three-sport career at Cold Spring Harbor
High School in New York, says he was more interested in finding
a good school close to Boston than following in his parents' footsteps.
"I looked at Tufts and was impressed with what it could offer,"
he said simply.
It was a good match. Gehling was twice a New England All-Star and
four times a Greater Boston League All-Star in soccer for the Jumbos;
he remains the program's all-time leading scorer with 101 points
(39 goals, 23 assists). The team won four Greater Boston League
Championships during his four years. He graduated with a degree
in child study in 1974 and earned a master's degree in education
in 1979 before being hired as women's soccer coach.
Gehling is the third Tufts man to serve as athletic director at
the school. Clarence 'Pop' Houston, A14, who would eventually become
president of the NCAA, was athletic director from 1919 to 1947.
Harry Arlanson, A31, a successful football coach, was director from
1954 to 1974.
For Gehling, who lives with his wife, Susan, and their three children
in Londonderry, NH, carrying on that tradition comes at an exciting
time in Tufts athletics. He points to the new Gantcher Family Sports
and Convocation Center that opens this fall. He cites the success
of Tufts' 33 teams, including four that advanced to NCAA Tournaments
during the 1998-99 year, where two students won national championships.
Supporting those teams, he said, will continue to be a priority.
As a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference
(NESCAC)-which includes Amherst, Williams, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby,
Trinity, Wesleyan, Connecticut College, Hamilton and Middlebury-Tufts,
like those schools, has a tradition of encouraging participation.
"Colleges in our conference tend to have a lot of varsity
sports because we place a tremendous emphasis on trying to get as
many students involved as possible," he said. "In addition,
we take pride in the fact that our student-athletes are high achievers
in the classroom as well as in their sport. Each year there are
many individuals and teams that earn national recognition for academics/athletic
excellence."
Indeed, Gehling says that as Tufts takes pride in building global
leaders, athletics "can play an integral role in providing
leadership opportunities for student-athletes. Team spirit and the
drive to excel are part of our mission. We hope to produce alumni
with a bond to their teammates, their team and their school, connections
that will last a lifetime."
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STUDENTS
'Bubs take stage at Fenway Park
Discovered while singing in May on The Late Show with David Letterman,
the Beelzebubs have enjoyed a generous share of recent publicity.
The a cappella men's singing group performed during the pre-game
festivities at the 70th Annual All-Star Game on July 13 at Boston's
Fenway Park. A spokesperson said the production company coordinating
the pre-game show spied the 'Bubs' impromptu performance of Stevie
Wonder's hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," on
the Late Show and felt the group captured the right hometown spirit
for the ball game. 'Bubs historian Jeremy Cramer, A00, said the
group was overwhelmed by media interest in the group (they appeared
on local television, New England Cable News and National Public
Radio). "We think it's pretty incredible. We thought our little
fifteen minutes of fame was over, but little did we know what else
could happen. There was such a buzz about this at Tufts, too, which
was really neat." You can order their latest CD, Infinity,
by visiting www.bubs.com.
Testing zero gravity, by invitation of NASA
Engineering students were part of a special CNN report in September.
Featured were four students who spent two weeks working on NASA-sponsored
research this summer, including a ride on a NASA plane known as
the "vomit comet." The team, one of 16 selected nationwide,
was invited to participate in the NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight
Opportunities Program in Houston, during which they investigated
if water particles would agglomerate in zero gravity. The plane
is known as the "vomit comet' because it completes 40 parabolas
that plunge researchers (wearing special gear) from weightless condition
to where they weigh twice as much as what they would on earth. The
foresighted students also made sure a Tufts sign was on board the
plane and featured prominently in CNN footage.
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PLACES
GOING THE DISTANCE
Tufts students don't have to look far to find the true meaning
of the "global classroom." On the first floor of Ballou
Hall is the small but busy Programs Abroad office, where Director
Sheila Bayne and her staff run ten programs that place undergraduates
around the globe. Juniors and seniors may choose programs of study
at universities in Chile, Ghana, Japan (Kanazawa or Kyoto), London,
Madrid, Moscow, Oxford, Paris and Tubingen, Germany. Students can
also earn credit toward their degrees in non-Tufts programs in 54
other countries from Argentina to Zimbabwe.
A pioneer in international study, Tufts established programs in
Paris and Tubingen in the 1960s and continues to take the lead.
(London celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and Spain its
20th.) It is one of a few universities in the United States invited
to participate in a full-year exchange with Kyoto University and
discussions are under way to establish a program in China.
None of this progress is lost on undergraduates with a thirst for
travel. About 40 percent of the junior class, or some 450 undergraduates,
study abroad each year, making Tufts one of the top five research
institutions in the United States in terms of percentages of students
abroad. "It's now the norm that students are eager to complement
their studies with a foreign experience," says Bayne.
Indeed, international relations is one of the most popular majors
on campus, and Tufts students do well in competition for Fulbright
scholarships, this year earning a record 14 awards, tying with Harvard.
"Tufts students arrive at the university with strong international
interests and good foreign language skills," says Bayne. "We
try to build on their strengths by offering foreign programs that
are as intense as they are rewarding. Our students go abroad as
bright teenagers and come back as independent young adults, often
fluent in a second language, with foreign internship experience,
ready for a career that will include an international component.
A year or a semester in a foreign country gives them a distinct
edge in whatever field they choose. It also makes them better people-more
tolerant, more empathetic and wiser."
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