Tulane Talk November 09, 2007
TULANE TALK
November 9, 2007
Good Morning:
Last month I told you that Tulane University would be the site of the first meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative-U, a program created by former President Bill Clinton to harness the energy and knowledge of college students to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. CGIU is an offshoot of the Clinton Global Initiative, a non-partisan effort started by the former president in 2005 to bring world leaders together to find and put into action solutions to problems in education, energy, climate change, global health and poverty.
This week the director of CGIU and other officials came to campus to scout locations for their meeting, an event that will bring the former president and other leaders together with Tulane students and their peers from universities throughout the country. Due to the complexity of juggling various schedules, the only date available for the meeting is March 15, which coincides with the start of our spring break. Despite this, I believe the demand to participate in this meeting, which will begin with discussions and end with commitments from students to take specific action, will be great.
Soon the CGIU will post an online application for those interested in participating in its meeting at Tulane. I will send the site’s address to you as soon as it becomes available. Remember, the single most important criteria for being invited to the CGIU meeting is the desire and commitment to take concrete action.
We are honored by CGIU’s selection of Tulane. This selection is a testament to Tulane’s long history of applying its knowledge and research to improve our community and world. This tradition was recently acknowledged in GambitWeekly‘s “40 Under 40,” which highlights 40 people under 40 who are making a difference in the community. At least 15 of the individuals highlighted in this issue are either current employees, graduates or community partners of Tulane.
Tulane was one of the first institutions to re-open in New Orleans post-Katrina. We were also one of the first American universities to establish a major presence in Rwanda in the mid 1990s following that country’s devastating civil war. Tulane architecture students are designing 0and building homes for hurricane victims in Central City, while Tulane researchers are investigating the exploitation of workers in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
I cite these as just a few of the many examples I could offer to highlight the fact that, whether at home or abroad, Tulane is helping to transform the world through positive and lasting change. Let’s keep up the good work.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk November 02, 2007
TULANE TALK
November 2, 2007
Good Morning:
This is a great time for Green Wave athletics. While our football season has been filled with many heartbreaks, we have also been blessed with the record-breaking season of senior running back Matt Forte, who last week was named a Heisman Trophy candidate by CSTV.com. Matt has received numerous accolades and comparisons to the greats of his sport.
But the person Matt is off the field is even more impressive than his athletic achievements. Polite, humble and respectful are just a few of his many attributes. Any parent would be proud to have Matt for a son.
While Matt and his teammates continue to break records, other Green Wave teams are just getting started with their seasons or are in the midst of very successful ones. Both our men’s and women’s basketball teams held exhibition games last night and seem primed for exciting seasons ahead. Our volleyball team (23-5) has won six in a row and looks to continue that streak with games tonight and Sunday.
Our baseball team, a perennial national powerhouse, is gearing up for a long-awaited full season in the beautifully rebuilt Turchin Stadium. The team has been settling into their new home with constant practices and the intra-squad games of their annual Fall World Series. The team will continue this series with scrimmages today, Saturday and Sunday.
In what has become an annual event, the baseball team, will also hold a clinic at 9 a.m. prior to the start of Saturday’s noon game. The clinic will be attended by students of St. Michael’s Special School, a New Orleans institution for children with learning disabilities. In my opinion, no matter how many championships they win, our team will never have a finer moment than this clinic. This event truly embodies all that is right with college athletics and is just one of numerous community outreach efforts
undertaken by our student-athletes.
So while a particular season may not turn out quite the way we had planned, always remember that there is never any doubt of our student-athletes’ commitment and dedication to both their team and their community. Certainly that effort is worthy of our continued support and appreciation.
Have a great Green Wave weekend,
Tulane Talk October 26, 2007
TULANE TALK
October 26, 2007
Good Morning:
I am writing this as I return from the American Association of Universities’ (AAU) meeting at the University of California, Irvine. The AAU is an organization comprised of 62 of the largest and most prominent research universities in the United States and Canada.
The AAU presidents and chancellors meet twice a year to discuss topics of mutual interest. This meeting was devoted to conflicts of interest, animal research, critical issues in higher education and freedom of speech on college campuses.
This last topic has been making the news on many campuses in recent weeks, including at Tulane. On Monday, a Tulane student group invited a particularly controversial speaker to campus. As a general principle, I have no regard for people who engage in hate speech, are intolerant and dismissive of opposing views or advocate views not based on any credible evidence.
Yet, putting aside my personal views about the value of this week’s event, I strongly defend the right of the Tulane student group to extend the invitation and the right of their guest to speak on campus, especially since the speaker permitted open questioning from the audience. The resulting interchange provided an opportunity for counterviews to be considered, which often leads to enhanced learning.
Free speech is at the core of democracy and must be preserved at all costs despite the fact that at times it makes us uncomfortable or even outraged. However, think for a moment of the alternative. In my mind, it is not a desirable place to be.
But here is a good place to be: http and Parent/Family Weekend.
Have a great time,
Tulane Talk October 19, 2007
TULANE TALK
Good Morning:
Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter is on campus this morning to announce a new fellowship program for Social Work and Public Health students. This new program is the latest initiative in our long-running and fruitful relationship with the Peace Corps. I have always been proud of the consistently high number of Tulane students who become Peace Corps volunteers.
Such volunteerism seems to be a natural part of Green Wave life. This is evident even when we gather for fun. For instance, many Tulane alumni of all ages will return to New Orleans Oct. 26-28, as we kick off “Wave ’07,” our first-ever All-Alumni Reunion weekend. A number of special events are planned around the Homecoming football game but, as the first order of business, visiting alumni will volunteer to help clean up and beautify local schools. For more information on this and other Homecoming reunion activities visit http://reunions.tulane.edu or call 1-888-265-7576.
Speaking of Homecoming, Rachel Kohn, a senior at Tulane and a finalist for Homecoming Court, will be a contestant Tuesday, Oct. 23 on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” The show, with host Meredith Vieira, can be seen locally on WVUE at 11:30 a.m.
Rachel, who is majoring in anthropology and English, said that if she won big on the show she would get Saints season tickets, travel and splurge on designer sunglasses and shoes for both her and her mom.
But just in case the “Millionaire” thing doesn’t work out, Rachel and other students may want to visit the Lavin-Bernick Center For University Life Oct. 24 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. More than 70 representatives from universities throughout the nation will be on hand to discuss graduate and professional school opportunities with interested Tulane students.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk October 12, 2007
TULANE TALK
October 12, 2007
Good Morning:
I want to share with you some good news and a remarkable story. Tulane University School of Medicine has received a $4.4 million donation, one of the largest individual gifts ever made to the school by an alumnus. The donation is remarkable in its own right, but more so when the circumstances are considered.
The source of the funds is stock donated to Tulane in 2000 by alumnus Jim Doty, a neurosurgeon and entrepreneur. At the time he committed to making the gift, Jim had no way of realizing that to keep his promise to Tulane, he literally would have to say goodbye to his personal fortune.
In early 2000, Jim had accumulated about $75 million in paper profits from investments in medical technology companies, including one called Accuray. He pledged to give a substantial amount of Accuray’s stock to several institutions, including Tulane.
Just as he was making plans for early retirement, Jim’s fortune turned. His paper profits vanished in the dot-com meltdown, and he was $3 million in debt with only one viable asset: stock in privately held Accuray. At that time, the value of the stock was unknown, and the paperwork for Jim’s donation had not been signed. His financial advisors told him he could legally step back from his promise if he wanted.
Jim struggled with the issue for some time. Most of his friends prodded him to back out. He refused, saying that he felt a moral obligation to keep his word no matter the circumstances. When Accuray went public earlier this year, Jim’s charitable fund was valued at $37 million, representing more than 99 percent of his net worth. Tulane’s portion turned out to be valued at $4.4 million.
Jim’s gift is extraordinary. His following through on a commitment at such a great personal cost is a testament to his selflessness and integrity. I’m sure I’m not the only one inspired by his example. His donation will establish two endowed chairs, fund scholarships for socio-economically disadvantaged students and help renovate the medical library, among other things. Jim’s gift and example will no doubt leave a lasting legacy.
I had the good fortune of having dinner with Jim this week, and he is an exceptional person by any measure you would use to judge character, intelligence and personality. I am proud and pleased he is a Tulanian and such a good friend.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk October 05, 2007
TULANE TALK
October 5, 2007
Good Morning:
I am writing from New York, where I traveled this week with Audubon Nature Institute CEO Ron Forman, renowned clarinetist and Xavier professor Michael White and the founder of Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, Ruthie Frierson. The purpose of our trip was to meet with the editors of The Wall Street Journal and Fortune magazine, as well as leaders in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office and the top leadership of the Rockefeller and Wallace foundations. I also appeared on Bloomberg TV’s “Money and Politics” program.
This trip was the latest leg of the Fleur-de-lis Ambassadors program (http://www.fleurdelis.tulane.edu/), an effort to provide an accurate and balanced picture of New Orleans’ recovery to the national media and underscore the importance of New Orleans to the country as a whole. Our meetings were productive, cordial and direct. As on previous trips we faced pointed questions and strong points-of-view. We addressed each question as accurately as we could, neither downplaying our challenges nor overstating our progress.
We also learned this week that Tulane will be the site of the first meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative-U, a program created by the former president and MTV to engage college students in solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. The event will be held early next year at Tulane. We don’t have any more details at this point regarding participants in the Tulane event but the announcement was made at a star-studded event featuring former President Bill Clinton, MTV President Christina Norman, Bono, Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Shakira and more. I will be sure to keep you informed about this exciting development.
The Clinton Global Initiative-U is all about the hope young people can inspire. Tomorrow, I will encounter some inspiring young people myself when I attend the Tulane-Army game. The grit and determination with which our Green Wave players competed against a highly favored opponent last week attracted national attention and admiration. I believe their effort is an example of what attracts us so much to sports. Of course, the West Point student-athletes also represent and stand for everything we desire in young people.
So beyond mere entertainment, this game showcases true student-athletes and two universities that are in service to society; each in its own way. There will be a lot to cheer for, besides what may be occurring on the football field.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 28, 2007
TULANE TALK
September 28, 2007
Good Morning:
Back in June I, along with the presidents of Dillard, Loyola and Xavier universities, wrote op-ed pieces for the Times-Picayune suggesting that New Orleans serve as a host city for one of the upcoming presidential debates.
This was an idea long championed by the “Women of the Storm” and has also been endorsed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, the Times Picayune and others.
In its Sept. 24 issue, TIME magazine’s editor Rick Stengel asked readers to send letters in support of a New Orleans debate to http@timemagazine.com. Rick promised to forward all letters to the Commission on Presidential Debates, which will make a decision on this issue next month. I urge each of you to send your support to this address today.
As I asked in my essay, can you think of a better place for the leading candidates to debate the role of government in responding to human need, the balance of domestic and foreign priorities, the importance of the environment, education, health care, energy, trade, crime and matters of race and poverty?
But besides being the perfect setting for the candidates to put forth and defend their positions on such issues, New Orleans also offers an opportunity for the country and its leaders to see how far the city has come in its recovery.
When I travel to other cities I am still astonished to be asked by seemingly intelligent and informed people questions such as “Has the water receded yet?” or “Is anything open?” Those of us who live here know the struggles we still face, but we also see the progress and the opportunities and know the danger of such ignorance regarding our recovery. Now it’s time for the rest of the country to know it as well.
Have a great weekend (and let’s beat those Tigers!)
Tulane Talk September 21, 2007
TULANE TALK
September 21, 2007
Good Afternoon:
While it’s beautiful outside today, we have been closely monitoring the tropical activity in the Gulf this week. This morning I met with the leaders of our emergency operations team. Although the impact from this weekend’s storm is projected to be minimal, with the greatest risk being heavy rainfall tonight and Saturday, we have ensured that all our necessary university emergency plans and preparations are in place.
In addition we have successfully tested our new emergency notification system, which enables us to send simultaneous emergency voicemail, e-mail and text messages should any need arise. This system supplements information posted on our AlertLine (504-862-8080 or toll free 1-877-862-8080) and our emergency website http://emergency.tulane.edu. Please monitor this site, the Alertline and local news and remain indoors during any inclement weather we encounter this weekend as a result of this storm.
In addition to the weather, this was a busy week, as I attended various Board of Tulane meetings to review our progress in fiscal year 2007 and discuss our priorities for this current year. I will continue to share this information with you throughout the year. As always, I welcome your comments and feedback.
By now I am sure you have all read or heard about the $11 million in funding the Carnegie Corporation of New York gave to Tulane, Dillard and Xavier this week. We plan to use our $5 million share to establish an endowment to recruit and retain top faculty and to support our public service efforts in New Orleans.
In addition to my gratitude for their generosity, I was also touched by the message delivered as the grants were announced by Vartan Gregorian, a man who rose from humble beginnings as an Armenian orphan to head, first, Brown University, and now the Carnegie Foundation. In addition, Vartan is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his heroic efforts in leading the New York Public Library and for his years of service as a professor and leader of six universities in the United States.
“New Orleans,” he stated, “is a unique and irreplaceable part of the fabric of American culture. New Orleans colleges are at the forefront of this city’s revitalization. And the new crop of freshmen who have arrived in New Orleans did not choose New Orleans because it would be easy or luxurious to live and learn here. They came because this city’s colleges and universities will provide them with a world-class education that will equip them to succeed in today’s knowledge-based economy. And they came to join their education with the act of witnessing for the rebirth, revival and tenacity of New Orleans.”
It is nice to hear these words spoken by someone who does not live here but cares deeply about the special place we call home.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 14, 2007
TULANE TALK
September 14, 2007
Good Morning:
In this space I have often written about the death of leaders and other momentous events that have unfolded in our world and community. Now, for some reason, I feel compelled to write about Alex, an African Grey parrot, who died prematurely and unexpectedly last week at the age of 31.
Alex was no ordinary bird. With the help of Irene Pepperberg, a comparative psychologist at Brandeis and Harvard Universities who studied and worked with him for many years, Alex was able to learn more than 100 words, count small numbers, distinguish colors and shapes and memorize enough one-liners to gain him fame on various television shows. His death made news around the world. I read about it in several national newspapers, including the New York Times.
Alex’s ability was viewed by some as more impressive than the achievements of Koko and other non-human primates that have been taught sign language. His skills played a pivotal role in long-running debates about whether other species can develop the ability to learn and think in human-like ways.
What struck me the most about Alex, however, were his last words as reported by several news sources. As Dr. Pepperberg put him into his cage the night of his death last Thursday, Alex looked at her and said: “You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you.”
Alex’s story has moved me more deeply than I expected. I suppose his affection, loyalty and intelligence are part of what draws all of us to our own pets. Our dog Gibson can’t talk or perform any of Alex’s other feats, but she communicates with us nonetheless, and she will never know what a great comfort she has been to Margie and me all these years. She exhibits all the wonderful traits we often adore in others, both humans and non-humans alike: devotion, trust, innocence and unconditional love. No wonder we love and mourn the Alexes of the world.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 07, 2007
TULANE TALK
September 7, 2007
Good Morning:
Maintaining and often exceeding our funding goals is one of the many remarkable accomplishments Tulane University has been able to realize in the two years following Hurricane Katrina.
If this week is any indication, it appears that this trend will continue. Yesterday, the Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education presented Tulane with more than $1.6 million in matching funds for two endowed chairs and 11 endowed professorships. The money is part of $15.9 million in matching funds the Board of Regents is distributing to public and private colleges and universities across the state. These gifts are essential to our efforts to recruit and retain outstanding faculty.
We also learned this week that the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine will receive $14 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue its efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, Haiti, Brazil, South Africa, Zambia, Angola, Zanzibar and Rwanda. This grant is another sign of our continuing research strength in areas of strategic importance.
There is also a lot of excitement this week over the beginning of the Bob Toledo era and the kickoff of our new football season against Mississippi State this Saturday evening in the Superdome. Besides being eager for the start of a new chapter in Green Wave football, I am most heartened by the latest Academic Performance Rates released by the NCAA, which show that Tulane student-athletes are performing well above their peers in the classroom. Now that’s really being a champion!
Green Wave football will be broadcast on television five times this year. We thought this would serve as the perfect opportunity to showcase, in a fun, lighthearted way, all the great things happening at Tulane. So we picked local freshman Sam Barton to make a commercial which you can view at the link below. I hope you enjoy this spot, which will run during all our televised games this season http://tinyurl.com/28q2v9
Have a great weekend and Roll Wave,