Tulane Talk March 16, 2007
TULANE TALK
March 16, 2007
Good Morning:
Do you think public schools in New Orleans are better now than they were before Hurricane Katrina? Do you think they will be better or worse in the future? How important is it for a student to attend a school in his or her neighborhood? Are there more discipline problems in schools now than before Hurricane Katrina? Are charter schools the answer?
I need to know your answers to these questions. The children of New Orleans need to know your answers. These questions are from a survey located at http://www.stateofnolaschools.org. The survey is part of a study launched this week by the New Orleans City Council Education Committee, Tulane Universityís Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives and the Greater New Orleans Education Foundation.
This ìState of NOLA Schoolsî study will include all public schools in New Orleans, including schools operated by the Recovery School District, the Orleans Parish School Board and charter schools. The results of this survey, along with information gathered from a community town hall meeting held March 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at City Hall, as well as meetings with community organizations, school leaders and elected officials, will be summarized in a report that will be published in mid-May.
The report will be shared with Louisiana legislators who, in their upcoming session, will make decisions that will affect our schools and children. It is critical that they base their decisions on research and knowledge. This study will also provide a baseline from which to measure the progress of our schools in the future.
I believe that nearly all of the challenges we face in our city can be met by a well-educated citizenry. The survey only takes five minutes to complete, but its results can be used to guide decisions that will last for generations. Please give us five minutes.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk March 09, 2007
TULANE TALK
March 9, 2007
Good Morning:
A few weeks back I mentioned that in addition to visits by Janet Reno, Colin Powell and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, who will read from her works on April 12 at 7 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium, there would be many more special speakers to announce.
Perhaps the biggest of these is former vice president Al Gore, who will discuss global warming May 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. in McAlister Auditorium.
More immediately, however, Walter Isaacson, noted author, the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, Tulane board member, former chairman and CEO of CNN, former managing editor of Time Magazine, will speak March 15 at 1 p.m. in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life. Walter will discuss his latest work, a biography of Albert Einstein and, as vice chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the Road Home program and its impact on the recovery of New Orleans.
Tulane graduate and President’s Council chairman Lawrence Schloss, chairman and CEO of the private equity firm Diamond Castle Holdings, LLC, will also speak March 15 from 5:15 to 6:20 p.m. in the J. F. Jr. and Jessie Lee Seinsheimer Theater, Room 1111, in Goldring Woldenberg Hall II. A true Tulane success story, Lawrence, throughout his storied career, has overseen deals worth more than $100 billion and climbed Mt. Everest. Lawrence’s talk “Private Equity: The Return of the Masters of the Universe” will examine how today’s private equity market works.
New Orleans native Michael Lewis, best-selling author of “Liar’s Poker,” “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” “The New, New Thing” and his latest “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game” will speak March 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Freeman Auditorium of the Woldenberg Art Center. Michael will discuss his career and various themes of his work.
And finally, the date of political consultant and commentator James Carville’s address has been moved to April 19 at 5 p.m. in the Kendall Cram Room. James, one of the most recognizable personalities on the nation’s political scene, will discuss national politics, including the 2008 presidential election.
Each of these talks, which are open to the entire Tulane community, promises to be engaging, thought-provoking and, possibly, life-changing. I hope you will be among those in attendance.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk March 02, 2007
TULANE TALK
March 2, 2007
Good Morning:
I am pleased to announce that NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, the nation’s most-watched news anchor and a friend of Tulane University, will deliver the keynote address at Commencement 2007, May 19 at 9 a.m. in the New Orleans Arena.
Brian was the first and only network evening news anchor to report from New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit and was the only network news anchor to report from the Superdome during the storm. He also remained in New Orleans to report on the aftermath and destruction of Hurricane Katrina and continues to travel to our region to cover the rebuilding effort.
In recognition of his coverage, I was proud to present Brian with the Tulane President’s Medal at “Rebirth: People, Places and Culture in New Orleans,” a conference which was held on the uptown campus last May.
Brian’s address will be the highlight of an academic celebration that will include approximately 2,000 graduates, a procession of hundreds of faculty members in full regalia, live jazz music, herald trumpets, second-liners, a balloon drop, a confetti shower and possibly a few other surprises. Dr. Michael White’s Original Liberty Jazz Band and local jazz great Wanda Rouzan will also perform.
Brian has won five Emmy Awards and received television’s highest honor, the George Foster Peabody Award. In June 2006, “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” received an unprecedented four Edward R. Murrow awards, including their highest honor, “Best Newscast,” for Hurricane Katrina coverage. Brian’s nightly broadcast represents the largest single daily source of news in America.
But, I think the best rationale for having Brian as our commencement speaker is simply that he is a true friend and advocate for Tulane University and the city of New Orleans. His balanced, fact-based and compassionate coverage of our story has been recognized by both his peers and millions of viewers. I can think of no better person to provide insight and direction to our graduates as they embark on their next important step in life.
For a full list of all Commencement 2007 activities please visit: http://www.grads.tulane.edu/
Have a good weekend,
Tulane Talk February 27, 2007
TULANE TALK
February 27, 2007
Good Morning:
Two very special guests will speak at Tulane University this week. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will speak from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28 in the Kendall Cram Room on the second floor of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life. Powell will speak on his life experiences, leadership, world events, the future of New Orleans and other issues. Powell will speak for 30 minutes and then take questions from the audience.
Stephen Covey, author of the international bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, will also speak on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Woldenberg Art Center’s Freeman Auditorium. Covey will discuss his book The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. Both events are free and open to the Tulane community, but please arrive early as seating for both events is limited.
Powell served as the 65th U.S. Secretary of State from January 2001 to January 2005. Since returning to private life, he has become a strategic limited partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. He is also on the board of directors of Revolution Health Care. Powell is the founder of the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at his alma mater, the City College of New York, and is helping to raise funds for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. and for the construction of an education center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Powell served 35 years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Four-Star General and was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993. He also served as National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan. Powell is the author of his best-selling autobiography My American Journey.
Covey, who for a time served as a consultant to President Bill Clinton, is the author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Peopleand other widely influential works aimed at helping people improve both their business acumen and personal lives. Covey’s other works include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. Covey is the father of nine and a grandfather of 44. He received the Fatherhood Award from the National Fatherhood Initiative in 2003. Time Magazinenamed Covey one of the top 25 Most Influential Americans in 1996 and Forbes named The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People one of the top 10 most influential business books ever.
Both of these speakers were brought to campus through the work of Tulane business student Stephen Frapart and Perspectives, a student-run leadership speakersÇ series. To read more about how a college student managed the coup of bringing two of the world’s most sought after speakers to campus visit http://www2.tulane.edu/article_news_details.cfm?ArticleID=7153. This story is a testament to the initiative, perseverance and caliber of our students. I hope you will be able to attend one or both of these events.
Tulane Talk February 16, 2007
TULANE TALK
February 16, 2007
Good Morning:
To the many Tulanians who ride in various parades, to the Green Wave Marching Band who will represent us in Krewe d’Etat, Thoth and Rex and to each and every one of you: have a happy and safe Mardi Gras.
Tulane Talk February 09, 2007
TULANE TALK
February 9, 2007
Good Morning:
I am looking forward to helping kick off the official opening of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute tomorrow, Feb. 10, at 6:30 p.m. in Freeman Auditorium of the Woldenberg Art Center.
The Newcomb College Institute was established last March as part of the Renewal Plan Tulane University adopted in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Institute will present speakers, seminars, workshops and numerous other programs all designed to enhance women’s education and carry on the legacy and traditions of Newcomb College.
Rebecca Mark, interim executive director of the Newcomb College Institute, and I will offer our thoughts on the importance and promise of this dynamic and exciting new dimension of Tulane University.
After the official opening, journalist Lisa Ling, special contributor for The Oprah Winfrey Show, former co-host of ABC’s The View and current host of National Geographic’s Explorer, will speak. A reception at the former Newcomb Dean’s residence will follow.
Lisa Ling’s presentation is the keynote address of Educating Women for a World in Crisis, the inaugural summit of the Newcomb College Institute. This four-day event will feature women leaders from around the world exchanging ideas on subjects including global warming, women refugees in Afghanistan, women in war zones, gender, art and social change. New Orleans women, who have been helping to put our city back together, will also lead city tours and answer questions about their work.
To attend the official opening and Lisa Ling’s talk please call 504-862-3108. To attend other events of the Educating Women for a World in Crisis summit please call 504-865-5422.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk February 06, 2007
TULANE TALK
February 6, 2007
Good Afternoon:
I am very pleased to announce that Michael Bernstein, dean of Arts and Humanities, a professor of history and an associated faculty member in the department of economics at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD), will become Tulane UniversityÇs new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs effective July 1. This position is Tulane’s chief academic officer and is vital to the university’s core academic mission.
Michael earned four degrees from Yale, including his Ph.D in economics in 1982. In addition to his position as dean, professor of history and associated faculty member in the department of economics, Michael is a faculty member in the science studies program at the University of California-San Diego. He is also the former chair of UCSD’s department of history and the former chair of the University of California Academic Senate, San Diego Division, a critical role in the University of California system.
Besides his faculty and administrative experience at the University of California, Michael held appointments at Princeton University and the University of Cambridge, where he was a Fulbright scholar. He also served as a staff economist at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Michael has received numerous honors, fellowships and teaching awards and has been published widely in the countryÇs most respected scholarly journals. He has co-edited or authored several books including “A Perilous Progress: Economists and Public Purpose in 20th Century America,” which was a finalist for the 2002 Alice Hanson Jones Prize, given by the Economic History Association.
He holds leadership positions in many professional and educational organizations, including the executive board of the California Faculty Coalition for Public Higher Education.
Michael possesses all the attributes we were looking for in this critical role. He is an extremely well respected scholar and educator, an experienced and accomplished academic administrator and a wonderful person with humanity and humility.
Michael emerged as the top candidate after a national search by the Provost Search Advisory Committee, which was led by Tulane anthropology professor Robert Hill and staffed by Anne Banos, Tulane’s chief of staff. The search committee was formed in May 2006 and was comprised of 15 members representing all of the university community, including students. The search committee did an excellent job, attracting candidates from some of the nation’s top universities. I want to thank the Committee members for their service to the university and this outstanding outcome.
Please join me in welcoming Michael to Tulane University and in thanking Paul Barron for the outstanding service he is rendering as interim provost.
Tulane Talk February 02, 2007
TULANE TALK
February 2, 2007
Good Morning:
I spent most of this week in Washington, D.C. discussing the future of pre K-12 public education and health care in New Orleans with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Rep. Bobby Jindal, Sen. Mary Landrieu, Sen. David Vitter, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosiís senior policy advisor Wendell Primus.
As you know Katrina dealt a severe blow to both public education and health care in New Orleans. On the health care front Katrina scattered a population, robbing doctors and hospitals of insured patients, while overwhelming the same system with uninsured patients, whose care used to be provided by Charity and other public hospitals. Katrina also devastated the cityís universities and exacerbated every flaw of a deeply troubled K-12 public school system.
I urged the members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee to support the efforts of true healthcare reform that will provide quality care and access to all our residents. I believe we can expect that the committee will soon hold hearings to assess the current state of health care in the region and where we go from here.
In a meeting convened by Sen. Mary Landrieu along with Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Department of Education and staff from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee I, along with UNO Chancellor Timothy Ryan and non-profit and charter school leaders in the city, discussed how public-private partnerships are key to the future of our public education system and critical to our recovery.
All of the leaders I met pledged to do everything possible to get additional funding for our area’s needs as well as break the bureaucratic logjam that is holding up much of the funding already allocated. I will let you know how well these legislators and government representatives backed up their good words in the months ahead.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk January 26, 2007
TULANE TALK
January 26, 2007
Good Morning:
Last year Tulane University welcomed a spectacular array of speakers, including Laura Bush, Brian Williams, Madeleine Albright, Wynton Marsalis, Richard Ford, John Biguenet, former Presidents Bush and Clinton and our surprise commencement guest Ellen DeGeneres.
Now 2007 is shaping up to be a year in which we will continue to attract some of the countryís most sought-after speakers. For instance, former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno will discuss domestic violence Feb. 1 at noon in Room 110 of the Tulane Law School, while Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will discuss “Life, Work and the Constitution at the Supreme Court” Feb. 5, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Freeman Auditorium of the Woldenberg Art Center.
Lawrence Wright, a Tulane graduate whose book “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11” was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award, will speak on the topic “Al-Qaeda: Past, Present, and Future” Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Freeman Auditorium of the Woldenberg Art Center. Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison will read from her works on April 12 in McAlister Auditorium.
In addition to these speakers a slate of international experts will highlight ìEducating Women for a World in Crisis,î the inaugural summit of the Newcomb College Institute at Tulane University. The summit, which will be held Feb. 8-11 at Tulaneís Lavin-Bernick Center, will feature women around the world who examine and resolve crises locally, nationally and globally. For more information on other summit speakers, please visit http://newcomb.tulane.edu/speakers.html
This year will also witness the revival of the student-run Direction series, which has brought some of the nation’s top speakers to Tulane throughout the years. Political strategist James Carville, Aspen Institute president and CEO Walter Isaacson and bestselling author Michael Lewis are just some of the exciting speakers on tap for this year. Specific dates, times and settings for these presentations will be forthcoming.
All of the speakers listed above and those still to be scheduled will bring a unique perspective to Tulane, a perspective that will be shaped by their experience in our city. I hope you will take the opportunity to listen to, learn from and inform these perspectives.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk January 19, 2007
TULANE TALK
January 19, 2007
Good Morning:
This week marked the start of a new semester and, through the 21st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week for Peace, what I hope will be a new beginning of cooperation and understanding among all races in our community.
The theme of this yearís Week for Peace is ìDefining Our Citizenship: Uniting Communities.î I cannot think of a more appropriate challenge for us at this time in our cityís history. The only way we can truly recover from Katrina and the social ills its aftermath so glaringly revealed is for all of us, no matter our skin color or heritage, to work together in the pursuit of justice.
So far the Week for Peace, sponsored by Tulane, Dillard, Loyola and Xavier universities, has included an interfaith service, a day of community service, an address by best-selling author and Princeton professor Cornel West, the honoring of chef Leah Chase with a Lifetime Achievement Award and the presentation of the Student Community Service Award to Tulane student Emily Petrino.
Today, a candlelight march, perhaps the most moving event of the Week for Peace, will begin at 5 p.m. at the University Center Terrace at Xavier University. The march will proceed to Loyolaís campus and then to Tulane for Expressions of Unity a celebration of Dr. Kingís life through song, drama, dance and music at McAlister Auditorium. Buses taking Tulane students, faculty and staff to Xavier for the candlelight march will leave from McAlister Drive near Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse at 4:15 p.m.
Please attend the candlelight march if you are able and, more importantly, continue to look for ways to unite our community so that every week will be a week for peace.
Have a good weekend,