Announcements

September 2007

September 7

September Tufts Journal

The September issue of the Tufts Journal is now online:

http://tuftsjournal.tufts.edu

TOP STORY: The 1,375 undergraduates who've begun their Tufts careers represent one of the most socio-economically diverse classes in university history.

Click on FEATURES and read these stories:

• A $15 million gift from the Jaharis Family Foundation will transform medical education at Tufts.
• A Tufts chemist and his research team are investigating a hormone that could predict your likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes.
• A service of remembrance will take place on September 24 to honor the life of Tufts historian Gerald R. Gill.
• International aid agencies have created some bad PR for themselves in Iraq by putting the safety of their employees ahead of their humanitarian mission, according to a new report from the Feinstein International Center.
• Pentecostal Christianity is helping Sierra Leone "forget" a brutal civil war.
• On the shelf: four new books by Tufts authors.

IN THIS CORNER: As you read this, a spacecraft laden with a decade of work by a Tufts chemist and his students is hurtling toward Mars on a journey that may produce evidence of life on the Red Planet.

In BRIEFS, Nine students named Schweitzer Fellows ... a new executive VP ... the Class of 2011 by the numbers ... diet advice ... and Provost's Office launches the University Seminar.

PLUS: Calendar listings and People Notes.

September 6

Environmental Health and Safety Training Notice

Environmental Health and Safety Training Notice: IATA / DOT Regulations for the Shipment of Class 6.2 and Class 9 Dangerous Goods

It is very important that anyone shipping a dangerous good receive the proper training every 2 years. Fines for untrained employees are excessive and continue to increase every year.

When: Wednesday, September 26th from 9:30am to 12:30pm

Where: Sackler 308D

This training is REQUIRED for anyone involved in the shipment of:

• Infectious Agents
• Biological Substances (Diagnostic Specimens)
• Human or Animal Samples
• Genetically Modified Microorganisms
• Genetically Modified Organisms
• Dry Ice

Class size is limited. Registration is required. Please contact Natalie Viernes, Tufts EH&S to reserve your spot.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kimberly Parker M.S.

September 5

Community Music @ Tufts

I am pleased to announce a wonderful new resource for the families of Tufts faculty, staff, and our host communities in Medford and Somerville. Community Music @ Tufts is a new Saturday program for young and aspiring musicians at every level of ability. Offering experiences in many different forms of music making from around the world, Community Music @ Tufts represents another facet of the university's commitment to civic engagement, global understanding, and diversity.

Open to the entire Tufts community and the general public, the program will take place on Saturday mornings beginning September 29 in the Perry and Marty Granoff Music Center. Community Music @ Tufts includes classes in music and movement based on Dalcroze Eurhythmics for young children ages 3-6; choral singing and musicianship, group piano, and group recorder for children 7-10; African drumming, Afro-Cuban jazz, Balkan singing, Javanese gamelan, composition, chamber music, and theory for middle and high school students; and classes in madrigal singing and gamelan for adults.

This program will quickly become one of the Granoff Music Center's most exciting and important ventures, and we hope that you and your family will join us as part of it.

For information on registering, tuition costs, and the complete course schedule, please visit http://tufts.edu/musiccenter/resources/programs.html or contact program coordinator Edith Auner. The registration deadline for the fall is September 15th, so we encourage you to sign up today.

With best regards,
Joseph Auner
Chair
Department of Music

August 2007

August 28

Gerald Gill Remembrance

A Service of Remembrance Honoring the Life and Contributions of Gerald R. Gill November 18, 1948 - July 26, 2007

A scholar of twentieth century African-American history, Gerald R. Gill was one of Tufts University's most honored and distinguished teachers. He was beloved by his students and by his colleagues alike. Twice he was named the Massachusetts College Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. His colleagues and former students could tell you exactly why . . . his door was always open, he was passionate and knowledgeable about what he taught, he remembered each student's name and cared - most deeply - about each individual, academically as well as personally. A member of the Tufts community for over a quarter of a century, Professor Gill taught and mentored thousands of students and was a friend to all. He was a thoughtful and dedicated colleague, active in service to the university and the community. He loved Tufts and Tufts loved him. He will be remembered by all those who were fortunate enough to have been in his presence . . . if only for a season.

Monday, September 24, 2007
12:15 pm
Cohen Auditorium
A reception will follow the service. Details TBA

To honor a man who gave so much of himself to Tufts University and its students, the university is pleased to announce the establishment of the GERALD R. GILL FUND, a fund intended to honor his memory and create a permanent legacy to his life, his scholarship, and his commitment and service to Tufts. To support this effort, please send checks made payable to Trustees of Tufts College to:

Brigette A. Bryant, Sr.
Director of Development Tufts University
School of Arts & Sciences
80 George Street
Room 320
Medford, MA 02155

In the memo field, please add "in memory of Gerald Gill" and allocation code "CR007013". In addition, you may post your thoughts and remembrances to Professor Gill at: http://enews.tufts.edu/focus/13/2007/07/30/BelovedProfessorandScholarGillDies

August 10

Annual Renewal of SAS Software

SAS is a statistical software package used by many faculty and staff at Tufts who share in an annually-renewed license subscription. In order to ensure that SAS availability is not interrupted, we have begun work on this year's renewal process. Based on last year's license volume and rates, we are projecting that the approximate per-license price for the SAS renewal, which includes a subsidy from UIT, will be between $28 and $40, although the final price will depend on the number of licenses actually ordered.

SAS has made some changes this year to its licensing program. SAS is licensed by workstation. One license must be purchased for each computer on which the software will be used. This applies to home, institutional and student computers. Further, SAS licenses purchased under Tufts' Academic Computing Offer may only be used for teaching and research, and may not be used for administrative work.

Here's how to order SAS licenses:

1. Decide how many licenses you want to purchase. (Departments may want to consider purchasing some extra licenses to cover new hires or latecomers.)
2. Send a completed, signed IDR to your Campus Software Coordinator (below) at the address shown in parentheses. The IDR should to specify how many SAS for Windows licenses you will be purchasing. Leave the total dollar amount blank. The amount will be filled in by the coordinator once all IDRs have been received, and we determine the final per-license price.

In order to process the renewal before existing licenses expire, IDRs must be received by the coordinators no later than the end of day on Friday, September 7, 2007. Allow a couple of weeks for the order to be processed and for media to be shipped. Once the media and license keys have been received at Tufts, they will be sent to the coordinators for distribution. You can reach the SAS coordinator for your campus at the following email addresses.

1. Boston Campus: OIT, Sackler Center, 145 Harrison, Boston
2. Grafton Campus: Robert Ertsgard, Foster Hospital for Small Animals, Grafton
3. Medford Campus (except Central Admin.): Tony Sulprizio, Tisch Library, Medford
4. Central Administration: Kara Bilotta, UITSC, TAB, Somerville

Before submitting your order for SAS, please verify with your department or funding source that adequate funds are available to cover the license price. As with any software purchase, also check with your FSP before submitting your order. (For a list of department FSPs, visit http://uit.tufts.edu/?pid=541

If you have any questions about this purchase, please do not hesitate to contact your campus software coordinator or me.

Thank you,
Debbie Nanni, UIT

August 10

Online Parking Permit Renewal

The Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce that we are currently accepting applications for 2007-2008 employee parking permits for the Grafton and Medford/Somerville campuses. Boston campus employees who wish to obtain a reciprocal parking permit for occasional use on the Grafton or Medford/Somerville campuses must do so in-person at the University Police station on the Grafton or Medford/Somerville campus.

Like last year, all employees can now apply for a parking permit online, regardless of previous permit ownership - simply visit our website at http://publicsafety.tufts.edu/ and click on the Parking Permit Application link.

Online permit renewal is available until August 24, 2007, after which only mail-in and in-person renewal is available.

July 2007

July 23

Search for Vice Dean and Organization Change

Dear Colleagues:

I write to announce the initiation of a search for a new Vice Dean for Clinical and Academic Affairs to succeed Dr. Jeffrey Glassroth. We plan to begin the search in September. We seek a seasoned academic leader with stature in clinical medicine and scholarship who will assume the responsibilities for academic, clinical and faculty affairs that were Dr. Glassroth's responsibility.

In order to enhance the effectiveness of the leadership team at the medical school, Dr. Naomi Rosenberg has been appointed as Vice Dean for Research for TUSM. She will remain Dean of the Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences. Marsha Semuels, in her role as Executive Administrative Dean, will work closely with the Vice Deans and me in leading the school.

The search will be national in scope. Please send any nominations directly to me.

Michael Rosenblatt, M.D.
Dean
Tufts University School of Medicine
136 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111

July 18

University Records Policy

I am pleased to announce the establishment of Tufts' new University Records Policy. This policy carefully defines university records, the Digital Collections and Archives' (DCA) authority over university records, and the responsibilities of the DCA, departments, and employees for university records. The Records Policy is supported by the new Guidelines for Managing University Records which provide best practices for managing university records.

The University Records Policy is online at http://dca.tufts.edu/general/urp.html.

The Guidelines for Managing University Records is online at http://dca.tufts.edu/general/gmur.html.

The Records Policy and accompanying Guidelines are designed to help offices and departments manage their records in an efficient and compliant manner, and are part of a body of university-wide policies, such as the Business Conduct Policy, that provide Tufts employees with the necessary rules and guidance to properly perform their jobs. All Tufts departments and offices already have the responsibility of managing their records. Although the Records Policy and Guidelines may suggest changes in the way some departments and offices manage their records, they do not create new responsibilities for anyone. By clearly defining responsibilities and providing advice for managing records efficiently, the Policy and Guidelines should help departments and offices address any records issues they may have, and should significantly streamline data collection and management for school accreditation and other data intensive processes.

The DCA is responsible for managing the Records Policy and Guidelines. If you have any questions about the Policy or Guidelines or would like advice on managing university records, I encourage you to contact Eliot Wilczek, University Records Manager.

July 17

Mark your calendars! The 2nd Annual Jeffrey M. Isner, M.D., Endowed Memorial Lecture, Dr. Judah Folkman

The 2nd Annual Jeffrey M. Isner, M.D. Endowed Memorial Lecture
Dr. Judah Folkman
Andrus Professor of Pediatric Surgery
Director, Vascular Program
Children's Hospital Boston
Professor of Cell Biology
Harvard Medical School

Wednesday, November 7, 2007
4PM Sackler Auditorium
Arthur M. Sackler Center
for Health Communications
145 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
Reception to follow

Join us as the tradition continues - the Isner lectureship recognizes Dr. Isner's life and work and provides an opportunity to convene the Tufts community annually to hear cutting-edge presentations by leaders of the basic or clinical scientific communities on topics in the field of angiogenesis-related research and other seminal studies in vascular biology and cardiovascular medicine. This year Tufts is pleased to welcome pioneering angiogenesis researcher Judah Folkman. The recipient of numerous national and international awards, Dr. Folkman has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Executive Vice President Appointed

Dear Friends,

I wanted to share with you some great news. After a national search conducted by Spencer Stuart, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees has voted to appoint Patricia Campbell as Tufts' new Executive Vice President. Patricia was the Executive Administrative Dean at the Dental School for many years. Together with Dean Lonnie Norris, she greatly strengthened the school's academic and administrative programs while also building a solid financial foundation that supports the school today. She currently is the Vice President for Finance and Administration at WGBH, Boston's public broadcaster. Prior to coming to Tufts, she worked as the Deputy Commissioner for Mental Health for the State of New York where she oversaw a budget well in excess of $1B.

I am very excited about this appointment. Patricia brings a wonderful skill set to this important job coupled with a deep knowledge of Tufts. She is smart, strategic, thoughtful, honest, fair, tough (when she needs to be) and has great people skills. She knows Tufts, has an intimate knowledge of what it takes to make both a school and a university great, and has demonstrated her commitment to creating a diverse work environment where everyone is valued and where everyone can grow. She has been tremendously successful at WGBH where, among other things, she was instrumental in WGBH's construction and relocation to new studios in Brighton. As a WGBH trustee, I have witnessed her great work first hand. I am confident that she will be a worthy successor to Steve Manos. She will start in mid September. I hope you will all welcome Patricia as she returns to Tufts.

Best regards,
Lawrence S. Bacow
President
Tufts University
Ballou Hall
Medford, MA 02155

July 9

Call for Nominations for 2007 Distinguished Faculty Award

The Committee on Committees is seeking nominations for the 2007 Distinguished Faculty Award.

Additional information regarding the criteria for this award as well as the nomination process can be obtained at http://www.tufts.edu/med/about/faculty/facultydevelopment/distinguishedfaculty/index.html

The deadline for submission of nominations is September 21, 2007.

July 6

July Tufts Journal

The July issue of the Tufts Journal is now online:

http://tuftsjournal.tufts.edu

TOP STORY: Some call it retirement. Art historian Madeline Caviness calls this new chapter in her life a chance to be "retiring and outgoing at the same time."

Click on FEATURES and read these stories:

• Engineering alumnus finds a bright future on New England's rooftops.
• A professor reflects on what comes after four years -- and 30 years -- of college.
• Biologist Sara Lewis heads to Japan this summer to determine if there is a universal language of firefly dating.
• Coach Don Megerle sits atop the college swimming world.

IN THIS CORNER: In a mega-installation coming to the University Art Gallery this fall, Soviet-born artists will entice visitors to communicate with the cosmos.

In BRIEFS, white button mushrooms appear to be good for what ails you... what happens when bacteria get really hungry... Feinstein researchers find a way to help African pastoralists weather droughts... genetics and vision loss in the elderly... and urban planning students' design work featured in Boston exhibit.

PLUS: Calendar listings and People Notes.

What's news is just a click away: http://tuftsjournal.tufts.edu

June 2007

June 21

Michael H. Entrup, M.D. named chair of the Dept of Anesthesiology at TUSM and Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at Tufts Medical Center

It is with pleasure that we announce that Michael H. Entrup, MD, has been named Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Tufts University School of Medicine and Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Entrup will also play a lead role in managing surgical services. He joins the Medical Center from the Lahey Clinic where he served as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management. He will succeed W. Heinrich Wurm, MD, who is leaving his position after more than 16 years of dedicated service as Anesthesiologist-in-Chief. We are fortunate that Dr. Wurm will continue his work at Tufts Medical Center as a skilled clinician and teacher.

Dr. Entrup is a graduate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Medical School. He completed his postgraduate training in anesthesia and pediatric anesthesia at Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children as well as a fellowship in cardiovascular anesthesia from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Nationally known in the field of anesthesiology, Dr. Entrup is a member of numerous professional societies including past President of the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Board of Directors of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), where he also serves as Chair of the Committee on Communications. Board certified in anesthesiology, his clinical specialties include cardiac anesthesia, liver transplant anesthesia, operating room management and transfusion medicine.

We would like to extend our heartfelt and deep appreciation to Dr. Wurm for his many contributions and years of dedicated service to the Medical Center. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his skill, compassion and leadership. He is an outstanding physician and we are indebted to him for all he has done for the Medical School, Tufts Medical Center, our patients and their families.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Entrup on his new position and extend to him the support he will need as he undertakes this important role in our Medical School and Medical Center communities. He will begin his duties here at TUSM and Tufts Medical Center in September.

Sincerely,

Michael Rosenblatt, M.D.
Dean
Tufts University School of Medicine

Ellen Zane
President and Chief Executive Officer
Tufts Medical Center

June 20

New Update from Christine Fennelly, Boston Public Relations Office

Boston Police are investigating a robbery at Sovereign Bank in Boston on the corner of Kneeland Street and Harrison Avenue. A man claiming to have a weapon robbed the bank at approximately 12:40 pm. No further details are available from the Boston Police Department at this time.

TAKE TIME TO PREVENT CRIME!

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Report any suspicious person(s) or circumstances to the Tufts Police immediately at X66911 (617-636-6911 from off-campus or a cell phone). Program this number into your cell phone so you will be prepared in an emergency.
• Utilize the safety escort service 24/7 by calling the Tufts Police at X66610 (617-636-6610 from off-campus or cell phone).

For more personal safety recommendations, go to http://publicsafety.tufts.edu/police/?pid=14

Message from Christine Fennelly, Boston Public Relations Office

A shooting occurred this morning at approximately 5:30 am near the corner of Tremont and Stuart Streets, across from the HNRCA building. Boston Police are investigating and no further information is available. At this time we have no reason to believe that any personnel from Tufts University were involved.

June 13

Jeffrey Glassroth, M.D., Vice Dean

Jeff Glassroth has informed me that he will be leaving Tufts as of August 15, 2007 in order to assume the position of Vice Dean at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago. We are sad to lose Jeff from the leadership team in the Dean's Office at TUSM, but the opportunity at Northwestern is a special one for Jeff. Professionally, the new position provides Jeff with a major leadership and administrative challenge in academic medicine, and in important personal terms, it is a return for Jeff to an institution and city that has been "home."

Jeff has achieved a remarkable amount during his time at Tufts. He worked with the Lahey Clinic to establish a TUSM academic headquarters at that teaching affiliate along with appointing Tufts' first Academic Dean at Lahey, Dr. David Schoetz. He strengthened tangibly the partnerships between TUSM and its teaching hospitals. In the arena of academic affairs, he led an effort to update and improve the clinical faculty appointments and promotions process. Jeff also advanced implementation of the school's education strategic plan, recruited a new Dean for Educational Affairs, Dr. Scott Epstein, helped to reorganize the Office of Educational Affairs, and brought forward plans for a clinical skills laboratory.

In addition to these achievements, I have benefitted greatly from having Jeff as a colleague. He has provided wise advice, deep insight into the academic and clinical enterprise, and exemplary partnership in many of the school's key initiatives.

TUSM has been fortunate to have Jeff serve as Vice Dean. He has much to be proud of. Please join me in wishing him continued success.

May 2007

May 17

Innovations in Education Intramural Grant Program Awardees

After much deliberation, the Selection Committee chose six proposals from an outstanding pool of applicants (14 letters of intent and 10 full proposals). The awardees address areas of curricular need noted in the Educational Strategic Plan, including innovative approaches to simulation-based training, strategies for enhancing multicultural competency, and the integration of basic science and clinical teaching programs. The awards support efforts to enhance educational programs not only for students at the Medical School but also for students at the Sackler School and those enrolled in the Masters of Public Health Program.

Brief descriptions of the proposals will be posted on the Innovations Grant website http://www.tufts.edu/med/IG/, as will the deadlines for next year's grant cycle.

Please join me in congratulating the following faculty:

Gladys Fernandez, MD and Mihaela S. Stefan, MD
Baystate Medical Center
"From the Web to the Simulated Patient Room: Self Directed Web-Based Virtual Patients to Support and Enhance Simulation-based Training and to Assess Learning: An Adjunct to Curricular Innovation"

Laura Liscum, Ph.D.
TUSM
"Pathways to Science"

Sarah Perez McAdoo, MD, MPH and Carrie Bell, MD
Baystate Medical Center
"Community health curriculum in reproductive health disparities and cross cultural care in Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship"

Ruth Palombo, PhD
TUSM
"Preparing Tufts MPH Graduates for the Changing Nature of Public Health Practice"

Henry Wortis, MD
TUSM
"Distance workshop: Genetic analysis of host resistance to infectious pathogens"

Stanley Jacobson, PhD
TUSM
"The Tufts University Digital Human Anatomy Project"

May 10

2006-2007 Zucker Research Prizes Recipients Named (May 10)

Michael Forgac, Ph.D., Professor of Physiology, is this year's recipient of the Zucker Family Research Prize.

Honorine Ward, M. B. B.S., Associate Professor of Medicine, is this year's recipient of the Milton O. and Natalie V. Zucker Prize.

Dr. Forgac was recognized for his many contributions to the study of vacuolar ATPase. Since joining our faculty in 1984, he and his group have focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which this protein complex functions. Vaculolar ATPase is a large enzyme complex that functions to pump protons across cell membranes and plays a key role in maintaining the pH in different cellular compartments. The pump also generates an electrochemical gradient that transports molecules across cell membranes and plays an important role in both normal and abnormal physiology. Elegant biochemical and structural approaches pioneered by Dr. Forgac have advanced our fundamental understanding of the way the pump functions. They are now beginning to illuminate the way the complex may influence disease with a focus on cancer metastasis.

Dr. Ward was recognized for her contributions to our understanding of Cyrptosporidium pathogenesis. This organism causes diarrheal disease that can be life-threatening in immuno-compromised individuals. Because no vaccine exists and therapeutic options are extremely limited, this organism is a significant world-wide public health problem. By combining basic molecular studies with translational approaches, Dr. Ward and her group have advanced our understanding of the mechanisms underlying Crytosporidium infection and identified targets for drug and vaccine development. In addition to these fundamental studies, she employed molecular epidemiological approaches to understand the way the organism is maintained and spread, particularly in the developing world. This work reflects her long-standing commitment to addressing critical global health problems.