Cornell University News Service Releases

December, 1999

Index to all months

For the full text of any story, click on the filename at the end of the description. These stories are also available via anonymous FTP at cunews.cornell.edu. Electronic queries may be made to cunews@cornell.edu.

Sen. Charles Schumer hears from Cornell researchers about need for federal aid to bring biotechnology to market
ITHACA, N.Y. -- New York's junior U.S. senator, Charles E. Schumer, visited Cornell University Monday, Dec. 20, to hear from university researchers and administrators about how the federal government can help improve the process of bringing the fruits of the university's biotechnology research to market. Schumer spent more than an hour in Cornell's Biotechnology Building, where much of the research at the newly established Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC) is carried out under the directorship of Harold Craighead, professor of applied and engineering physics. NBTC is one of five new national science-and-technology centers funded this summer by the National Science Foundation. Schumer.visit.deb.html (December 22, 1999)

Larger, adjustable computer mouse could reduce risk of wrist injury
ITHACA, N.Y. -- An oversized, flatter and adjustable computer mouse with built-in palm support could lower the risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and other wrist injuries, according to a new study by Cornell University ergonomists. The study found that the new mouse allows computer users to keep twice as many of their wrist movements in a neutral, low-risk zone compared with a traditional, small mouse. mouse.design.ssl.html (December 21, 1999)

Maury Tigner, accelerator builder and adviser on Chinese science, named director of Cornell's particle research lab
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Maury Tigner, who two decades ago helped design and build the half-mile-circumference accelerator at Cornell University, has been named the next director of the operator of the huge device, the Laboratory of Nuclear Studies (LNS), one of the world's leading centers for elementary particle research. Tigner, will succeed Karl Berkelman, the Goldwin Smith Professor of Physics, who steps down June 30, 2000. LNS operates the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR), an electron-positron colliding beam accelerator. With the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, LNS is one of two research centers of the Cornell Department of Physics. Tigner.LNS.deb.html (December 21, 1999)

Undergraduate students design new women's hockey team uniforms
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell University women's ice hockey team has snazzy new uniforms, thanks to the creativity of a class of undergraduate students in textiles and apparel in the university's College of Human Ecology. Cornell is the only Ivy League university with a department of textiles and apparel; the project is a classic example of how faculty find "real life" interdisciplinary, practical challenges for students as vehicles for learning. Last spring, students in Associate Professor Susan Ashdown's course, Apparel Design and Pattern Development, were assigned the task of designing a uniform for the Cornell women's ice hockey team. hockey.uniforms.ssl.html (December 17, 1999)

Cornell is first and only division to meet its United Way goal in Tompkins County this year
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University's campus campaign for United Way of Tompkins County is the first and only United Way division this year to meet -- and even exceed -- its goal. As of Dec. 15, the university had raised $562,831. That's $32,831, or 6 percent more than its goal of $530,000, thanks to contributions by Cornell employees, retirees and students. And more pledge cards are coming in daily, says Mary George Opperman, Cornell vice president for human resources and chair of the United Way campaign on campus. "Even though our formal campus campaign has succeeded, we're still accepting donations and pledges through the end of the month," Opperman said. UW.CU.first.ssl.html (December 17, 1999)

Survey shows U.S., U.K. workplace more receptive to disabilities
ITHACA, N.Y. --People with disabilities -- one in six of us -- must surmount workplace obstacles that those without disabilities never even notice, everything from inaccessible work spaces to indifferent, or even intolerant, colleagues. The picture is beginning to improve, however, spurred by the recent passage of such legislation as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States in 1990 and the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in the United Kingdom -- Great Britain and Northern Ireland -- in 1995. The Program on Employment and Disability at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations undertook a study of 2,000 U.S. and U.K. human resource professionals -- the people who hire at most companies. The purpose? To determine their response to the new laws and identify ways to eliminate workplace discrimination against people with disabilities. Its results were published this fall. Susanne Bruyre, the Cornell program's director, discussed the study's findings this December as the keynote speaker of an international videoconference that was part of the "Celebrating Change" Disability Millennium Festival in Belfast. She also presented the results at an international meeting in Harrogate, England, this October. wkplce.study.html (December 17, 1999)

Design class builds full-size, indoor mini-playgrounds for child-care centers
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Two Cornell University interior design classes didn't just build scale models, but the real thing -- indoor play zones for child-care centers. The undergraduates planned, designed and built four child-care learning and play activity centers, or mini-playgrounds, that will become available to participating area child-care providers. The designs include "magnetic mania," where children play with magnet shavings that are under a plexiglass floor panel, a "fabric jungle," in which strips of brightly colored fabric attached to poles can be interwoven; and a "star wall," a dark corner with flashing lights meant to resemble a spaceship. Each play zone focuses on a different developmental need of young children, including cognitive; manipulative; art, music and fantasy; and motor skills. design.class.ssl.html (December 15, 1999)

Caribou, Maine, Burlington, Vt, or Ithaca, NY may have a white New Year's Day
ITHACA, N.Y. -- At the stroke of year 2000, celebrants throughout the Northeast might be dreaming of a white New Year's Day. Likely their dreams will come true -- if they are in Caribou, Maine, the Finger Lakes region of New York, or Burlington, Vt., according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University. Most surprising to Keith Eggleston, a senior climatologist at the climate center, is that after Caribou, the second most-likely place to see a white Jan. 1 will be outside his window, in Ithaca N.Y. WhiteNewYears.bpf.html (December 15, 1999)

Even in upstate New York's frigid winter weather, this lettuce harvest is crisp and bountiful
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Imagine that it's a frigid 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Salt trucks are out on the roads, and children are building snowmen. It's a perfect day to harvest lettuce. Thanks to Controlled-Environment Agriculture, a Cornell University-developed pilot project, hydroponic greenhouses in the winter-bound Northeast might soon be able to compete lettuce head to lettuce head with growers in California and other warmer climes. Lettuce.bpf.html (December 14, 1999)

Library grant to conserve A. D. White's historic photographs
ITHACA, N.Y. --A $40,000 grant from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation will help the Cornell University Library conserve and catalog some 15,000 historic architectural photographs in the Andrew Dickson White Photograph Collection. White, Cornell's first president, began collection before the university's founding in 1868. It documents a wide range of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture of Europe and the United States, including structures, city streets and habitats that have vanished due to wars and urban development. For more than 70 years the collection has served as a primary instructional and research tool for students and scholars in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning and other fields. However, from the time of their arrival the photographs and many of the albums in which they are kept were highly vulnerable to the influence of atmospheric conditions and frequent usage. Library.Grant.Rel.html (December 14, 1999)

U.S. Rep. James Walsh avows support for scientific research in ceremony naming him "Champion of Science"
ITHACA, N.Y. -- In an era of budget surpluses, zero annual deficits and the annual pay-down of the national debt, "my hope is that Congress will continue to make basic research a priority," U.S. Rep. James T. Walsh (R.-N.Y.) told a national meeting of physics researchers at Cornell University last week. The central New York congressman, whose district includes Onondaga and Cortland counties, had just been presented with the "Champions of Science" award by Cornell Provost Don M. Randel. Recipients of the award are chosen by the Science Coalition, an alliance of more than 400 organizations and individuals, including companies, medical groups, universities, scientific societies and Nobel laureates. The award to Walsh, who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on veterans affairs, housing and urban development and independent agencies, recognizes the leadership of the United States in the sciences and engineering. lns.symposium.deb.html (December 14, 1999)

Senior Alexander Rau earns a prestigious Marshall scholarship to study physics at Oxford
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Alexander V. Rau, a Cornell University senior majoring in physics, is one of 40 students nationwide to be awarded the prestigious Marshall Scholarship for at least two years of study in the United Kingdom. He plans to study for a D.Phil. in physics at Oxford University. Rau is a student with wide-ranging interests outside his major field, including climatology, marine biology, medieval history and science and technology policy. But in his graduate work he plans to attack one of the most fundamental problems in physics. Marshall.Rau.ws.html (December 14, 1999)

Tiny books represent Cornell anti-slavery collection at the White House
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Among the holiday treasures adorning the White House this season are two dozen miniature bound books created by the staff at Cornell University Library's Preservation and Conservation Department. Approximately 1-1/2 to 2 inches high, these diminutive replicas represent material in the library's Samuel May Anti-Slavery Collection. On Dec. 6 Hillary Clinton announced the 1999 White House holiday theme, "Holiday Treasures at the White House." Earlier this year, Cornell received a $331,000 grant to conserve its extensive collection of anti-slavery literature as part of the Save America's Treasures Program, one of the first lady's favorite projects. tiny.book.rel.html (December 13, 1999)

Plantations gives advice on winter pest precautions
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Although hard-working gardeners look forward to the end of another growing season, a few precautions during the winter months will make plants healthier in the spring, according to experts at Cornell Plantations. "Before you hang up your gardening tools and turn your attention indoors, remember that an ounce of pest control now can prevent serious problems later," says Donna Levy, the pest-management coordinator at Cornell Plantations. "Now is a great time to deal with leaves that may harbor insects and diseases and to prune and scout your landscape during the winter months to combat the pests that plague your plants." winter_pest.hrs.html (December 13, 1999)

NCAA approves Cornell's Division I certification
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Committee on Athletics Certification has approved Cornell's athletic programs for certification in Division I. The certification, announced Dec. 2, came after a yearlong self-study and report that covered the areas of academic and financial integrity, rules compliance and a commitment to equity. After the self-study report was presented, a peer-review team visited the campus in April 1999. NCAA.certification.jp.html (December 10, 1999)

Senior Vice President Frederick A. Rogers will leave Cornell to head new Internet company
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Frederick A. Rogers, Cornell University's senior vice president and chief financial officer, announced today (Dec. 9, 1999) that he will be stepping down from that position to assume the presidency of a new Internet company that will serve the education community. Rogers, who is resigning effective Jan. 31, 2000, has served as Cornell's chief financial officer since 1990 and as the senior vice president since 1995. In announcing his resignation, he expressed his desire to work full time in the development of innovative business solutions for higher education by bringing the best of the business world to bear on the critical issues of university and college management and administration. Fred.Rogers.html (December 9, 1999)

Provost Don M. Randel recommended to be president of the University of Chicago
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Don M. Randel, provost of Cornell University since 1995 and a faculty member since 1968, has been recommended to the board of trustees of the University of Chicago to serve as its 12th president, the University of Chicago announced today (Dec. 9, 1999). The announcement was made in Chicago by Edgar Jannotta, chair of the University of Chicago board and of the search committee that selected Randel to succeed Hugo Sonnenschein as president. The board will meet Monday, Dec. 13, to confirm the recommendation. randel.chicago.lgk.html (December 9, 1999)

Bronx exchange shop at Forest Houses recycles junk into treasure
BRONX, N.Y. -- One person's junk could be a neighbor's treasure. So to help the environment, residents of Forest Houses in the Bronx are taking recycling seriously. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of New York City and the Cornell Waste Management Institute (CWMI) are starting a swap-shop pilot program, the Forest Houses Materials Exchange Shop, where residents can bring reusable items and exchange them for others. BronxSwapShop.bpf.html (December 8, 1999)

Fortified drink for children in developing world goes into commercial production
ITHACA, N.Y. -- A fortified, orange-flavored powdered drink, tested in Tanzania by Cornell University researchers who found it can significantly help improve children's nutrition and growth, has been launched as a commercial product by Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) in the Philippines. The drink can boost the diets of millions of children and others in the developing world, having the same effect in significantly reducing multiple nutritional deficiencies and improving height and weight as megadoses of nutrients and vitamin pills, says Michael C. Latham, professor of international nutrition at Cornell. He found, for example, that children in East Africa who drank the beverage for six months gained almost twice as much weight and gained 26 percent more in height compared with children who did not receive the drink. orange.drink.ssl.html (December 8, 1999)

Historian Daniel Usner named director of American Indian Program
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University announced today that Daniel Usner, a highly regarded historian of American Indian-Colonial relations, will succeed Jane Mt. Pleasant as the director of the University's American Indian Program. In addition, the American Indian Program unveiled a restructuring plan that includes adding three associate directors, setting a program mission and defining four major goals designed to recruit Native American students and retain those currently enrolled at the university. AmerIndianProg.bpf.html (December 3, 1999)

Cornell chemist Geoffrey Coates named among 100 'young innovators' by Technology Review
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Geoffrey Coates, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell University, has been selected by Technology Review magazine as one of 100 young innovators under the age of 35 "who exemplify the spirit of innovation in science, technology, business and the arts." The magazine, published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in its November/December issue with a special section on "the most remarkable group of innovators under 35 ever assembled." Coates.inventor.deb.html (December 3, 1999)

Two-day symposium will honor Cornell's eighth president, Dale R. Corson
ITHACA, N.Y. -- A gala two-day event to celebrate the career and leadership of Dale R. Corson, Cornell University's eighth president, will be held on campus Dec. 6 and 7. Corson was president of Cornell from 1969 to 1977. Among the participants will be William G. Bowen, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; John Brademas, chairman, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities; U.S. Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers (R-Mich.), vice chairman of the House Committee on Science; Charlotte Kuh, executive director, office of scientific and engineering personnel, National Research Council; and Frank Press, presidential science adviser in the Carter administration. Corson.symposium.deb.html (December 3, 1999)

Trustee executive committee meets in New York Dec. 9
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Executive Committee of Cornell University's Board of Trustees will hold a brief open session when it meets Dec. 9 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 20 minutes, will include a report from President Hunter Rawlings, an update on statutory college affairs and a report of the Buildings and Properties Committee. Exec.comm12.99.html (December 3, 1999)

CESR plans events to celebrate 20 years of operation
ITHACA, N.Y. -- A symposium will be held at Cornell University Dec. 10 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) and the associated research facilities. The event is being organized by the collider's operator, Cornell Laboratory of Nuclear Studies (LNS), and by the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), one of the world's leading centers for X-ray research in biology and materials science. LNS.symposium.deb.html (December 3, 1999)

Student is hospitalized with meningococcemia
ITHACA, N.Y. -- A Cornell student has been hospitalized with meningococcal disease. The student, a 19-year-old female sophomore, is suffering from meningococcemia, a severe bacterial infection in the bloodstream. Meningococcemia is caused by Neisseria meningitidis, the same type of bacteria that can cause meningococcal meningitis. The student was examined Nov. 29 by a physician at Gannett: Cornell University Health Services. She was transferred immediately to Cayuga Medical Center, where she is listed today in serious, but stable condition. Meningococcemia.99..html (December 3, 1999)

Dual-earner families are scaling back for kids
About three-quarters of middle-income, dual-earner couples in a study in upstate New York -- and almost all of those couples raising children -- "resist the demands of a greedy workplace" by scaling back their work commitments for the sake of their families and to have more discretionary time, according to a new Cornell University study. But the ways in which husbands and wives mesh work and family differ. The researchers found, for example, that even though most couples consider husbands and wives to be "equal," twice as many women as men report putting limits on their work commitments. scaling.back.ssl.html (December 3, 1999)

Surface of Mars as never seen before
ITHACA, N.Y. -- For just under two minutes, shortly before 3:14 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Dec. 3, a camera directed toward the south polar region of Mars will capture and store a series of about 20 images unique in the annals of planetary exploration: the surface of a planet (other than the moon) as seen from altitudes ranging from about 4 miles to only about 30 feet. The camera, known as the Mars Descent Imager, or MARDI, will be positioned between the legs of the Mars Polar Lander, with the exhaust of the hydrazine engines in view. It will begin clicking its shutter after the lander vehicle's heat shield has been jettisoned -- about 6.5 kilometers (about 4 miles) above the surface -- and while the craft is still swinging on its parachute harness. The last few images -- perhaps eight -- will be captured after the parachute has been jettisoned at about the 1 kilometer (.62 mile) altitude and as the craft makes a controlled descent, slowed by retro rockets, to the frigid northern edge of the Martian south pole's layered terrain. Mars.camera.deb.html (December 1, 1999)

Fossil mayflies can be used to 'weigh' ancient atmospheres
SAN FRANCISCO -- Millions of years before humans invented the barometer to measure atmospheric pressure, a primitive winged insect was experimentally measuring air's density and leaving barometer readings in the fossil record, according to a Cornell University geologist. Because that insect -- the common mayfly -- has persisted with little change since its appearance some 300 million years ago, scientists can use it to estimate the mass and composition of ancient atmospheres, John L. Cisne told the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) here today (Dec. 14, 1999). AGU_mayfly.hrs.html (December 13, 1999)