TULANE TALK

April 8, 2008

Good morning:

I am pleased to announce that Carole Haber, Richards Professor of History and chair of the history department at the University of Delaware, will become the new dean of the School of Liberal Arts (SLA) at Tulane University effective July 1. Carole will replace George Bernstein, who was appointed interim dean in July 2006 and ably and graciously served in that capacity while we conducted a national search for a permanent dean. George will return to his faculty position in Tulane’s history department upon Carole’s arrival. We are deeply indebted to George for his leadership of the school during the last two years.

An accomplished scholar, teacher and author, Carole graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in history from Washington University in St. Louis and earned a PhD in American civilization from the University of Pennsylvania. She joined the department of history at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte in 1979 as an assistant professor. During the next nearly 20 years she served in various academic and administrative roles at UNC-Charlotte, eventually becoming chair of the history department in 1993.

In 1998 Carole left UNC-Charlotte for the University of Delaware where she was named full professor and history department chair. In 2003 she was named Richards Professor of History, an endowed position. She also held several administrative positions at the University of Delaware including membership on the Dean’s Advisory Committee, a position through which she shared oversight of the College of Arts and Sciences’ budget. Carole’s impressive scholarly record and reputation as an outstanding educator and academic administrator make her well suited to be the first permanent dean of the School of Liberal Arts, which, following our post-Katrina Renewal Plan, was founded as the home of the arts, humanities, social sciences and several centers and institutes.

Carole’s wide academic interests include aging and an exploration of the medicalization of death in America at the turn of the 20th century. She is the author of several highly regarded books including Beyond Sixty-Five: The Dilemma of Old Age in America’s Past, Old Age and the Search for Security and Key Words in Sociocultural Gerontology. She has also served as a consultant on aging for NBC, BBC, NPR, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging.

Carole is the latest in a long line of highly respected and successful people who have decided to make New Orleans their new home. As she told us: “My enthusiasm for the mission of Tulane as well as my desire to be part of the team that shapes the future of New Orleans makes me extremely excited about this position and its possibilities.”

We are equally excited to welcome Carole to Tulane. I would like to thank Provost Bernstein and the SLA Search Committee, led by anthropology professor Dan Healan, for the excellent job of recruiting Carole to Tulane.

TULANE TALK

March 28, 2008

Good morning:

Interest in Tulane University is at an all-time high. Nearly 34,000 high school students from around the country and world have applied for only 1,400 spots available in next year’s freshman class. We believe our 100 percent increase in applications this year is the highest among major research universities in the country.

The upcoming March 30-31 “Honors Weekend” is an opportunity for us to bring some of the highest achieving members of this applicant pool to campus. The beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying offers the perfect backdrop to introduce these prospective students to our various honor programs and other academic offerings. It is also the perfect setting to introduce them to New Orleans food and culture.

While looking forward to our new class, our current students continue to bring honor to the university. We just learned that Tulane juniors Sarah Elizabeth Ray and Timothy Kramer Schmidt were two of only 65 students nationwide to have been selected as 2008 Truman Scholars.

The Truman Scholarship Foundation, which bestows this honor, was established by Congress in 1975 as a memorial to President Truman. The Foundation awards scholarships of up to $30,000 for college students to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or other public service. The rigorous selection process requires that candidates have a strong record of public service, as well as a policy proposal that addresses a particular issue in society.

Sarah is a double major in political science and social policy. Her career goal is to make government programs more accountable and efficient, especially in the area of public housing and poverty. Timothy is a political science major with a concentration in American politics and policy. He mentors at-risk youth through Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. He also guts and rebuilds hurricane-damaged homes through Tulane SAFER (Students Acting for Equitable Recovery).

Both of our Truman winners are well deserving of this honor and reflect the quality of Tulane students yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Have a great weekend,

TULANE TALK

March 14, 2008

Good morning:

Today through Sunday, the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) makes its national debut at Tulane University. Seven hundred college students, university presidents, administrators, leading nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs, activists and celebrities are joining President Bill Clinton on campus to discuss how the nation’s young people can make a world of difference in the areas of energy and climate change, global health, poverty alleviation and peace and human rights.

Each student attending the CGI U, as well as participating universities, will be asked to make a specific commitment that addresses one of the problem areas identified by the CGI U. Tulane’s CGI U commitment includes establishing a process for universities throughout North America to replicate our successful Center for Public Service model. We are also committing to establish community-based health centers that will provide high quality health care for New Orleans residents who cannot afford health insurance.

President Clinton will also announce another important Tulane commitment during his public address March 15 at 5:30 p.m. in Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse. This address is free and open to the public.

Commitment to solving problems both local and global has been a long tradition at Tulane. It is a tradition that takes many forms. For instance, this past Wednesday more than 100 Tulane medical students, faculty and staff had their heads shaved to raise money for cancer research. Cheered on by children battling cancer, our medical students raised more than $59,000, including $6,000 that will go directly to Tulane Hospital for Children. Can you think of any act that makes you prouder to claim these students as our own?

So we look forward to joining our long and active Tulane tradition of commitment to that of the Clinton Global Initiative. I believe this will prove to be a great partnership.

Also, to our students who begin their Spring Break on Sunday: Be safe and enjoy yourself. You deserve it.

Have a great weekend,

TULANE TALK

February 29, 2008

Good morning:

Could it happen in New Orleans? That’s what Karen DeSalvo, vice dean of community affairs and health policy at Tulane University, aims to find out next week when she will lead a group of New Orleans medical leaders, elected officials and neighborhood organizers on a tour of Boston’s Community Health Centers. Karen and her fellow travelers will determine how Boston’s successful system of high quality, cost-effective neighborhood health centers can be replicated in New Orleans.

Ben Sachs, senior vice president and dean of Tulane University School of Medicine, is the organizer of this trip. From his many years working in Boston, Ben knows firsthand how such centers can not only make medical care available for the uninsured but also heal and transform entire neighborhoods by providing space for after-school educational programs, job training and other community-building efforts. Yes, it can happen in New Orleans.

Something else happening in New Orleans next week is the visit by feminist leader Gloria Steinem to Tulane on March 6. Steinem, part of the Newcomb College Institute’s second annual Powerhouse Speakers Series, will speak at 7 p.m. in the Lavin-Bernick Center’s Kendall Cram Lecture Hall. Her talk is free and open to the public.

Another big event on campus next week is the return of the Burkenroad Symposium for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. This year’s symposium, the 15th in the long-running series, is titled “Critical Moments in Leadership: Changing the Rules of the Game.” The symposium will take place at 10 a.m. on March 7, in the Lavin-Bernick Center’s Kendall Cram Lecture Hall. Featured speakers include Holly J. Gregory, a partner with Weil, Gotshal & Manges; Bill Carey, author of Leave No One Behind: Hurricane Katrina and the Rescue of Tulane Hospital; Frank B. Stewart Jr., chairman emeritus of Stewart Enterprises; and Samuel Tinsing Mok, former chief financial officer of the U.S. Department of Labor. The symposium is also free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://freeman.tulane.edu/burkenroadinst/symposium.htm

I will keep you updated on the results of the Boston trip. In the meantime try to take advantage of the two events above or the many other happenings throughout the university.

Have a great weekend,