Cornell University News Service Releases

December, 2001

Index to all months

For the full text of any story, click on the headline. Electronic queries may be made to cunews@cornell.edu.

Weill Cornell Scientists Reveal Action of a Histamine Receptor That May Lead to New Therapies for Heart Attacks
Studies with Human Cell Lines Show That Activation of the H3-Receptor Limits the Release of Arrhythmia-Causing Noradrenaline New York, NY (December 20, 2001) - When a heart attack strikes, the nerve endings in the heart release excessive amounts of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, leading to arrhythmias, or disturbances of the heartbeat, with sometimes fatal consequences. In a just-published article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, two scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College - Drs. Roberto Levi and Randi Silver - report on studies showing how the activation of a histamine receptor, the H3-receptor, limits this release of noradrenaline via two independent systems, based on the intracellular concentrations of calcium and sodium. The research suggests a novel, potential therapeutic approach to heart attack, or to myocardial ischemia in general.

Dr. Jochen Buck of Weill Cornell Named Senior Scholar in Aging by Ellison Medical Foundation for Life Span research
New York, NY (December 20, 2001) -- Dr. Jochen Buck, an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medical College, has been selected to receive a Senior Scholar in Aging Award by the Ellison Medical Foundation. The prestigious award, which comes with one-million dollars to help support his research for the next four years, is intended to encourage Dr. Buck's exploration of the role of the enzyme soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) in the aging process.Dr. Buck, who earned his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of TŸbingen in Germany, has been a faculty member at Weill Cornell since 1992. His research into sAC has been done in collaboration with another member of the medical school's Pharmacology Department, Dr. Lonny Levin.

Area philanthropist leaves record-setting $20 million to Cornell architecture
A $20 million gift from the estate of Cayuga County resident Ruth Price Thomas will go to the Department of Architecture in Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art and Planning, President Hunter Rawlings announced Dec. 18. The gift is the largest ever received by the department as well as one of the most substantial gifts to an architecture program anywhere. In addition to Cornell, Wells College will receive an endowment valued at $20 million from the Thomas estate, the largest gift received by the college from a single donor. The relationship between Cornell and Wells dates back to a friendship between their founders, Ezra Cornell and Henry Wells, when they were business partners in the 1840s. (December 19, 2001)

Archaeologists rewrite timeline of Bronze and Iron Ages
Using information gleaned from the sun's solar cycles and tree rings, archaeologists are rewriting the timeline of the Bronze and Iron Ages. The research dates certain artifacts of the ancient eastern Mediterranean decades earlier than previously thought. And it places an early appearance of the alphabet outside Phoenicia at around 740 B.C. Writing in two articles in the forthcoming issue of the journal Science (Dec. 21), archaeologists from Cornell University and the University of Reading (England) and a physicist from Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg (Germany) have given a new kind of precision to the timeline of the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Aegean and the Near East. (December 19, 2001)

Weill Cornell Scientist Zhong Sheng Sun Wins Top Award for Innovative Research in Biological Clock Genes
New York, NY (December 18, 2001) -- Dr. Zhong Sheng Sun, an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College, has won a prestigious Mallinckrodt Foundation research award for his groundbreaking work in how biological clock genes affect the body's circadian rhythms and how such genes function in the blood, in the immune system, and in metabolism. Recently, his research was cited by the journal Science to be among the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of the year."Circadian" rhythms are the cycles of changes that an organism undergoes during the course of each day. Most people are familiar with them simply by feeling lively when it is morning and bright, and sleepy when it is late and at night. But Dr. Sun has broken new ground by showing such rhythms are genetically controlled and that they are part of even such unconscious systems as the immune system and metabolism.

President Bush names Charles Arntzen, president emeritus of BTI, to Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
Charles J. Arntzen, president emeritus of the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) for Plant Research Inc., located on the campus of Cornell University, was named Dec. 13 to President George W. Bush's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Arntzen, who currently is a professor at Arizona State University, will serve on the council with 23 other scientists for a two-year term. The council was founded Sept. 30 to advise the President on matters involving science and technology policy. (December 19, 2001)

Community Partnership Board awards over $20,000 for student-initiated community service
The Community Partnership Board (CPB) on Dec. 2 awarded more than $20,000 in grant monies to Cornell University-student-initiated, grassroots service-learning projects. CPB, a program of the Cornell University Public Service Center, awarded grants of up to $2,000 each to projects that address an outstanding social need in a community, which can be local, national or international. Through a combination of social responsibility, partnership, student leadership, education and evaluation, CPB strives to strengthen the ties between Cornell students and their communities. During the past 10 years, CPB has given out $90,000 in grants to community partnership programs. The program is funded in part by the Student Activity Fee at Cornell. (December 17, 2001)

Laurence Senelick's The Changing Room wins George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism
Laurence Senelick, the Fletcher Professor of Drama at Tufts University, is the winner of the 2000-01 George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism for his book The Changing Room: Sex, Drag and Theatre (Routledge 2000). The $10,000 prize, administered by the Cornell University Department of English, is one of the most generous and distinguished in the American theater. (December 14, 2001)

Jeffrey Doyle to chair Health Careers Program board
Jeffrey J. Doyle, Cornell University professor of plant biology and the Hays and James Clark Director of the Office of Undergraduate Biology, has been appointed the new chair of Cornell's Health Careers Program Advisory Board (HCPAB). Doyle succeeds David Robertshaw, professor of physiology, who has served as chair of the board since it was reactivated in 1996. Robertshaw was instrumental in developing the board in its current role and expanding its size. Robertshaw is leaving Ithaca to become the first associate dean at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. (December 14, 2001)

Student-run venture fund invests in biotech company
The Big Red Venture Fund, a venture capital group operated entirely by students of Cornell University's S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, has made its first investment in a biotechnology company founded by a student and an alumna. The company is Gene Network Sciences, based in Ithaca and founded and owned by Colin Hill, a Cornell doctoral candidate in biophysics, and Iya Khalil, Ph.D. '01. It received a $125,000 investment from the fund. The company pioneers research into in silico biology, the creation of computer models of the genetic and biochemical networks of living, human cells. Using mathematics, proprietary computer programs and experiments, the company claims it can make drug discovery more predictable. With this focus, the company is moving quickly toward completing the most comprehensive computer simulation of colon cancer cells created to date. (December 14, 2001)

Senior Joshua Goldman receives prestigious Marshall Scholarship to study at Cambridge and Edinburgh
Joshua Goldman, a senior majoring in physics at Cornell University, is one of 40 student winners nationwide of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship for two years of study in the United Kingdom. Goldman, a Cornell Presidential Research Scholar, will spend the first year at Cambridge University studying applied mathematics and theoretical physics, including such topics as cosmology and string theory. He plans to complete Part III of the Mathematical Tripos, the last year of a four-year honors program for Cambridge students. The following year, he plans to study at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, for a master's degree in condensed matter physics, the area of study in which he has concentrated at Cornell. Thereafter, he said, he plans to return to the United States to complete a doctorate in physics. (December 13, 2001)

WTC Utility systems"held up remarkably well"
ITHACA, N.Y. - Despite the huge loss of life and the massive damage caused by the destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, the utility systems beneath the buildings "held up remarkably well," a Cornell University engineer with wide experience in investigating disasters reports. Indeed, says Thomas O'Rourke, damage to the gas, steam, electrical, potable water and waste water systems was largely confined to the immediate vicinity of ground zero where the towers collapsed. (December 11, 2001)

Cornell senior, Allegra Angus, receives prestigious national computer science award
Allegra Angus, a senior at Cornell University with a dual major in mathematics and computer science, has been selected as one of two winners nationwide, of the Computing Research Association's Outstanding Undergraduate Award for 2002. She will receive a $1,000 cash prize, to be presented at a forthcoming research conference. The award is based on a student's independent research and academic record, as well as service to the community. (December 11, 2001)

New Paradigm for Cell Survival and Cell Death: Action of Neurotrophins
New York, NY (December 10, 2001) -- A new mechanism for cell survival and cell death -- a paradigm describing the regulation of the growth factors called neurotrophins -- has been discovered by scientists in the Division of Hematology-Oncology of the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Their findings, just published in the November 30th issue of Science, have significant practical implications for possible new treatments and methods of screening for many conditions, ranging from Alzheimer's disease to atherosclerosis.Neurotrophins are peptide growth factors. They are expressed by, and act upon, many different types of cells, though the Weill Cornell scientists focused mostly on neurons and on cells from blood vessels.

White Christmas unlikely in Northeast
If you're dreaming of a white Christmas in the Northeast, keep dreaming. Your chances are melting away. For this holiday season, the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University has completely revised its annual white Christmas probability statistics. For the past decade, the center has been using meteorological data from 1961 through 1990. Now the statistical chances of seeing an inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day will be based on the years 1971 through 2000. (December 10, 2001)

Cornell University Police receives traffic safety grants
Cornell University Police has received three grants totaling $15,525 that will be used to enhance the department's traffic safety and enforcement efforts. Two grants were awarded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. A $5,682 grant will be used for participation in the statewide "Buckle Up New York!" campaign, that has a goal of increasing seat belt usage in an effort to reduce serious injuries and deaths in traffic crashes. A second grant for $4,843 supports Cornell Police participation in the state's "Selective Traffic Enforcement" program to reduce aggressive driving, speeding and impaired driving-related crashes. (December 10, 2001)

Kevin Kornegay wins Black Engineer of the Year award
Kevin Kornegay, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Cornell University, has been named Black Engineer of the Year in the category of Promotion of Higher Education. The award is sponsored by Career Communications Group, publisher of U.S. Black Engineer and Information Technology; the Council of Engineering Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Lockheed Martin; and DaimlerChrysler. Kornegay will receive the award at the 16th annual Black Engineer of the Year Conference, in Baltimore, Feb. 14-16. The award is presented in more than a dozen categories, including professional achievement, technical contribution and overall leadership. (December 10, 2001)

Committee will look at recommendations for restructuring of Slope Day
Susan H. Murphy, Cornell University vice president for student and academic services and chair of the President's Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs, has appointed a committee to develop recommendations for restructuring Slope Day into a safer, healthier event. Slope Day is the traditional celebration of the end of the school year that takes place on the university's Libe Slope. In the past, the event has been marred by safety problems, many related to the abuse of alcohol. The Slope Day Steering Committee, chaired by Dean of Students Kent Hubbell and comprising students, faculty and staff, will seek public input on its preliminary recommendations before submitting a final report to President Hunter Rawlings in February. The committee is part of the President's Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs. (December 7, 2001)

$1.2M USDA grant to study Northeast organic farming
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems has awarded a $1.2 million grant for the creation of a new organic farming network managed by Cornell University's Department of Horticulture. The group, the Northeast Organic Network (NEON), is composed of university researchers, farmers, extension educators and nonprofit organizations. It will examine ways to enhance production and consumption of locally grown organic food in the Northeastern United States. (December 7, 2001)

Paul McEuen shares Europhysics Prize for nanotubes
Paul McEuen, professor of physics at Cornell University, is one of four scientists named to share this year's leading European condensed-matter physics award, the Agilent Technologies Europhysics Prize. The four are being recognized for their research into carbon nanotubes, a novel form of carbon, and their efforts to exploit the new technology for a broad range of electronic applications. The four winners, who will share a cash prize of 51,000 Swiss francs, or about $30,000, are McEuen, Sumio Iijima of Meijo University (Japan), Cees Dekker of Delft University (Holland) and Thomas Ebbesen of NEC Research Institute, Princeton, N.J. The prize is administered by the European Physical Society. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Brighton, England, April 11, 2002. (December 7, 2001)

Rawlings appoints campus council to address the misuse of alcohol and other drugs
Cornell University President Hunter Rawlings today (Dec. 5) announced the appointment of the President's Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs, an initiative aimed at improving the overall campus environment by reducing the harm associated with the misuse of alcohol and other drugs. The council, which will be responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of the university's alcohol and other drug abuse prevention efforts, will comprise students, faculty and staff. It will first convene Dec. 11. (December 7, 2001)

Time capsule in Martha Van Rensselaer's new wing will capture spirit of College of Human Ecology
As the new west wing of Cornell University's Martha Van Rensselaer (MVR) Hall nears completion, a date stone and time capsule will be installed in the west wall of the addition during a ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12. The time capsule includes numerous documents and objects submitted by College of Human Ecology students, faculty and staff to Human Ecology Voices, an undergraduate student organization dedicated to promoting interchange among people in the college. There will be various speakers at the ceremony, including college Dean Patsy Brannon. The event is open to the public, but there will be construction-site restrictions on where people can view the ceremony. (December 5, 2001)

Kaplan family establishes an endowment for Cornell Public Service Center
A Cornell University alumna and her family have donated $500,000 to establish an endowment for the university's Public Service Center, Susan H. Murphy, vice president for student and academic services, announced today (Dec. 5). The endowment is the gift of Barbara H. Kaplan, Cornell Class of 1959; her husband, Leslie Kaplan; Douglas Kaplan, Class of 1988; and Emily Kaplan, Class of 1991. (December 5, 2001)

$1.5 million in grants to higher education research group
The Cornell Higher Education Research Institute (CHERI), which sheds light on the most pressing problems faced by universities, has been awarded $1.5 million to support its research and outreach activities. CHERI received a $525,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and an additional $1 million from the Atlantic Philanthropies (USA) donor group. The Mellon Foundation award, which renews a three-year grant, started this fall, while the Atlantic Philanthropies award, which renews a four-year grant, will be apportioned over five years, starting in the fall of 2002. (December 5, 2001)

John Boudreau named a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources
John Boudreau, professor in the Department of Human Resources at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources (NAHR). NAHR is considered the foremost professional organization in human resources in the United States. Fellows are elected yearly by peers in human resource management. Boudreau, who was cited for his contributions to the field, is perhaps best known among HR practitioners for his innovations in measuring the value of human resources. He developed the HC BRidge&tm; strategic human capital framework, which models the link between individual talent and strategic success and is widely used in industry today. (December 5, 2001)

Tracking path of virulent bacteria via the web
Cornell University food science, engineering and computer science students have joined forces to develop a web-based software and a database to track and compare genetic footprints, or characteristics, of bacteria. For scientists who track the spread and sources of virulent bacteria, the students' PathogenTracker software reduces from days and hours to minutes the time spent making tedious strain comparisons. (December 5, 2001)

Cornell hosts first U.S.-South Korea Joint Seminar on Plant Molecular Genetics and Breeding, Dec. 11-12
ITHACA, N.Y. --- Cornell University will host the first United States-Republic of Korea Joint Seminar on Plant Molecular Genetics and Breeding Dec. 11 and 12 at the Boyce Thompson Auditorium on campus. The seminar is free and open to the public. The joint seminar is a program developed by the National Science Foundation and the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation to enhance cooperation among the science and engineering research centers in the two countries. The program involves joint research projects, seminars and scientific exchanges. (December 4, 2001)

Living amid green space is highly beneficial to children
A house surrounded by nature seems to help boost a child's attention capabilities, a study by a Cornell University researcher suggests. "When children's cognitive functioning was compared before and after they moved from poor- to better-quality housing that had more green spaces around, profound differences emerged in their attention capacities even when the effects of the improved housing were taken into account," says Nancy Wells, assistant professor of design and environmental analysis in the New York State College of Human Ecology at Cornell. (December 4, 2001)

Sale of CU artists' prints, Dec. 5-7, will benefit Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance
Original art created and donated by Cornell students and faculty are on sale this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 5 through 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Tjaden Gallery in Olive Tjaden Hall on Cornell University's campus. The fifth annual Holiday Art Show and Sale offers a selection of prints by fine arts faculty, undergraduates and graduate students. On sale this year will be about 90 prints -- etchings, monoprints, silk screens and lithographs -- from more than 60 exhibitors. The prints will be priced from about $10 to about $100. Profits will go to Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance. (December 4, 2001)

After Sept. 11, Hilton hotels "manage for recovery," CEO says
Stephen F. Bollenbach, president and CEO of Hilton Hotels Corp., spoke about how Hilton responded to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at a talk at Cornell University Nov. 30. One franchise, the Millennium Hilton next to the World Trade Center, had its entire front blown off following the attacks on the twin towers. While there were no injuries to staff or guests, the facility is still being rebuilt. Bollenbach's talk was part of a course for undergraduates at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration taught by Dean David Butler. The course brings leaders in the hotel industry to Cornell's campus to discuss key issues the industry faces today. (December 4, 2001)

Trustee executive committee meets in New York Dec. 6
The Executive Committee of the Cornell University Board of Trustees will hold a brief open session when it meets Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. in the Fall Creek Room of the Cornell Club of New York, 6 E. 44th St., New York City. The public session, for the meeting's first 15 minutes, will include a report from Cornell President Hunter Rawlings and a report of the board's Buildings and Properties Committee. (December 3, 2001)

Memorial service for student to be held Friday, Nov. 30
A memorial service for Alan Comerford, a Cornell University student who died Nov. 20, will be held Friday, Nov. 30, at 4 p.m. in the Founders Room of Anabel Taylor Hall. (December 3, 2001)