Tulane Talk September 20, 2002
TULANE TALK
September 20, 2002
Good Morning:
This has been a particularly hectic week. The Board of Governors of the Health Sciences Center, the University’s Board of Administrators and the President’s Council all met this week. Agenda topics covered the waterfront from research and education to fund raising and community outreach. These leadership groups really delve into the issues and are a wonderful source of advice.
Their guidance is particularly useful with regard to several new partnerships we have formed in recent years with LSU through our Health Sciences Center. The newest partnership in this area is the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium through which Tulane University and LSU scientists will work together on cancer research, treatment and prevention. This collaboration is garnering praise for both universities throughout the state.
The consortium was formed during this year’s Special Legislative Session and is funded by the state’s new tobacco tax. We hope that this collaboration of the state’s two leading Cancer Centers will ultimately lead to National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation–the gold standard for excellence in cancer research. There are 60 such NCI-designated centers in the United States, but none in Louisiana, which has the highest cancer mortality rate in the nation.
The consortium is just one of many partnerships we have formed with LSU and other universities throughout the state. These partnerships enhance the quality of life for all Louisianians, strengthen our profile as a national research university and underscore the importance of outreach and teamwork in reaching a common goal in which everyone benefits.
In addition to working with other universities, Tulane has also strengthened its efforts to increase collaboration and communication between researchers on our own campuses by establishing the Inter-Campus Collaborative Research Web site at http://www.tulane.edu/~collab/ This Web site provides researchers with information ranging from funding and partnership opportunities to the fastest way to travel between campuses. As we grow, it is more important than ever that we increase our communication and interdisciplinary approach to addressing today’s research and educational challenges. Make sure you take a moment to check out this new Web site.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk September 13, 2002
TULANE TALK
September 13, 2002
Dear Friends:
As you receive this week’s Tulane Talk many of us are gathering with the Lorino family to say our final farewell to Jonathan. I wanted to share with you the words I will say about Jonathan at today’s service.
“In Praise of Jonathan Edgar Lorino”
A light went out in New Orleans on Monday–a light and life full of promise and hope and love. My words today cannot be anything but inadequate, but I speak from the heart as a father and as a friend. For Tony, Lisa, Jason, Patty and the extended Lorino and Wright families-and all the rest of us who knew and loved Jonathan–a light has gone out from us and left our world a darker place.
I cannot even approach an understanding of the shock and sorrow and anger you must feel, but I do know that in the days and weeks and months ahead we will all find ourselves crying out to God that this brilliant life was cut so short, and that it ended as it did. We will weep for him, and for you, we will feel rage, and we will ask why. But I hope we’ll also remember how truly blessed we were to have known your son, your grandson, your brother, and our friend.
If we judge a life fulfilled by the measure of love a person can give, Jonathan’s life was fulfilled. He loved his family, dropping by his dad’s office and making him laugh and beam with pride, heading off to California with his mother for a special Barbara Streisand concert on her birthday. He loved his friends, his community, and his studies. Love always shone through Jonathan’s smile, and a Jonathan smile was worth a pot of gold.
If we judge a life fulfilled by the measure of kindness and compassion a person can show, Jonathan’s life was fulfilled. He was intolerant of injustice, was generous and kind, and sensitive to all those around him. It is indeed a rare gift to find some one so young with such wisdom, thoughtfulness and tenderness.
If we judge a life fulfilled based on sheer academic accomplishments, Jonathan’s life was amazingly fulfilled as he packed each of his 21 years full of learning. He spoke fluent French, and in fact had recently returned from his Junior Year Abroad in Paris. He was an exceptional student, winning several academic awards in high school and at Tulane. Jonathan had a breathtaking array of intellectual interests ranging from languages and international affairs to political science and religion. I have no doubt that whatever Jonathan dreamed, he would have accomplished. What pride and joy he brought to his family and his friends.
If I developed a profile of the model Tulane student, it would have been Jonathan. He was a shining star, a light in the lives of all who knew or came in contact with him. His light will always burn brightly in our hearts and in our minds.
I cannot offer any answers for what has happened; none of us can. I can only leave you with a quote from Psalm 31, where David turns to God as a fortress in adversity and David says: “Be of good courage, and God shall strengthen your heart.”
May we always remember and cherish the memory of a truly outstanding young man–Jonathan Edgar Lorino.
Tulane Talk September 10, 2002
TULANE TALK
September 10, 2002
Dear Tulane Community:
This has been a very difficult week for all of us as we make plans to gather as a community to mark the first anniversary of September 11, 2001. This anniversary holds even greater significance, arriving as it does upon yesterday’s tragic death of Tulane College senior Jonathan Lorino. Along with all the victims of 9/11, we will remember Jonathan and all those who have died from senseless violence in our city, country and around the world. I have met several times with Jonathan’s parents, Tony and Lisa, and other members of his family. I will let you know when funeral arrangements have been made. Members of the Student Affairs staff, as well as the Deans of Tulane and Newcomb Colleges have been assisting Jonathan’s roommates and friends as they cope with this tremendous loss. If we can be of assistance to any other students affected by this tragedy please let us know.
In addition to coping with the loss of Jonathan we have a number of events planned to commemorate 9/11. The university will begin this solemn day with the sounds of a bugler, accompanied by a Tulane ROTC Color Guard, who will play taps at 7:48 a.m. at Gibson Hall, 8:05 a.m. at the University Center, 8:43 a.m. at Newcomb Hall and 9:00 a.m. at the Reily Student Recreation Center to coincide with the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania one year ago.
Students, faculty and staff will also gather in Dixon Hall at 4 p.m. for “In Remembrance of September 11, 2001,” a special university-wide program of music, readings and reflections. The ceremony will include antiphonal trumpets, the presentation of colors by Tulane ROTC, the national anthem sung by the Tulane University Health Sciences Center Chorale and some brief remarks from me. Justin Steinschreiber, Tulane’s Associated Student Body President, will also announce plans by students to design and raise funds to build an outdoor classroom as a memorial to 9/11 victims. The ceremony will end with the retiring of colors and the playing of taps. For those unable to attend, the program will be webcast at http://www2.tulane.edu/911/webcast.cfm
The Health Sciences Center will also hold a concurrent program in commemoration of 9/11 at the School of Medicine auditorium. This program will feature a live broadcast of the opening portion of the Dixon Hall university-wide ceremony followed by remarks and reflections from the Health Sciences Center’s administrators and students.
These ceremonies will be important occasions for us to gather together as a community to remember and reflect. I hope as many of you as possible can attend one of these ceremonies or at least share some of your thoughts at the 9/11 Memorial Forum we have established at http://www2.tulane.edu/911
Tulane Talk September 09, 2002
TULANE TALK
September 9, 2002
Dear Friends:
It is with great sadness I write you this evening to let you know of the tragic death of Tulane College senior Jonathan Lorino, son of Tony and Lisa Lorino. As you will read in the newspapers tomorrow, Jonathan’s death was the result of a senseless act of violence.
As friends and colleagues of Tony, we are devastated by this incident. Jonathan was an exceptional student and an unusually kind and gentle person. He was a double major in French and Political Science and International Studies with a minor in Latin American Studies. He had just returned from a Junior Year Abroad in France and was looking forward to his senior year, and what I am sure would have been a brilliant future.
Margie and I spent time with Lisa and Tony this evening to express our deepest sympathies on behalf of the entire Tulane community. I know that all of our thoughts and prayers are with the Lorino family at this terrible time.
As I learn more about the arrangements for Jonathan’s funeral, I will communicate them to you.
Tulane Talk September 06, 2002
TULANE TALK
September 6, 2002
Good Morning:
This coming Wednesday, September 11, marks the first anniversary of the day that changed all of our lives.
Tulane University will begin its commemoration of this solemn day with the sounds of a bugler, accompanied by a Tulane ROTC Color Guard, who will play taps at 7:48 a.m. at Gibson Hall, 8:05 a.m. at the University Center, 8:43 a.m. at Newcomb Hall and 9:00 a.m. at the Reily Student Recreation Center to coincide with the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania one year ago.
Students, faculty and staff will also gather in Dixon Hall at 4 p.m. for “In Remembrance of September 11, 2001,” a special university-wide program of music, readings and reflections. The ceremony will include antiphonal trumpets, the presentation of colors by Tulane ROTC, the national anthem sung by the Tulane University Health Sciences Center Chorale and some brief remarks from me. Justin Steinschreiber, Tulane’s Associated Student Body President will also announce plans by students to design and raise funds to build an outdoor classroom as a memorial to 9/11 victims. The ceremony will end with the retiring of colors and the playing of taps. For those unable to attend, the program will be webcast at http://www2.tulane.edu/911/webcast.cfm
The Health Sciences Center will also hold a concurrent program in commemoration of 9/11 at the School of Medicine auditorium. This program will feature a live broadcast of the opening portion of the Dixon Hall university-wide ceremony followed by remarks and reflections from the Health Sciences Center’s administrators and students.
These ceremonies will be important occasions for us to gather together as a community to remember and reflect upon the tragic events of 9/11. I hope as many of you as possible can attend one of these ceremonies or at least share some of your thoughts at the 9/11 Memorial Forum we have established at http://www2.tulane.edu/911.
Tulane Talk August 30, 2002
TULANE TALK
August 30, 2002
Good Morning:
Scouts for the upcoming film “Runaway Jury,” starring Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffmann and John Cusack, visited #2 Audubon yesterday as a possible setting for one of the movie’s scenes. The crew is also considering other locations on campus and have ordered a Tulane sweatshirt for John Cusack’s character. I’ll keep you abreast of the latest Hollywood buzz.
Thanks to the hard work of a lot of staff and faculty members and our wonderful student volunteers, we were able to give a warm Tulane welcome to the most academically qualified first year undergraduate class in university history last weekend. Likewise, early indications suggest that virtually all of our schools and their programs had a very successful fall registration. I will keep you posted on the numbers as well as the quality of the students enrolled.
We also recently welcomed Robert M. Devlin, chairman of the New York-based venture capital firm Curragh Capital Partners, to the Board of Tulane. Bob received his B.A. in Economics from Tulane in 1964. He is the former Chairman and CEO of American General, one of the largest diversified financial services organizations in the United States. Bob is a member of the Tulane President’s Council and the Tulane College Dean’s Advisory Council. His appointment continues the board’s efforts to ensure that it is comprised of members who have strong Tulane connections and operate in the national and international arena.
Our students have only been back one week and they are already hitting the streets. But that’s a good thing. Tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. nearly 300 Tulane students will volunteer at service organizations throughout the city as part of the 12th Annual Outreach Tulane. I am extraordinarily proud of our faculty, staff and students’ involvement in the community. If anyone cares to join in this Saturday’s events, contact dsimons@tulane.edu or call (504) 314-2115.
Finally, some of you careful readers noticed a typo in last week’s Tulane Talk. The figure for the number of donors to our Annual Fund should have been 14,100 not 4,100. (I have to quit letting Gibson proofread my stuff.
But speaking of Gibson, if any of you doubted my ability as a swim coach, check out this photo.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend,
Tulane Talk August 23, 2002
TULANE TALK
August 23, 2002
Good Morning!
Tulane Talk is back after its summer hiatus. I hope you all found some time over the past few months to get away and relax, even if it was only to your backyard. I was able to catch up on a lot of reading and writing, teach Gibson how to swim (no kidding) and spend some fun, but exhausting, time with our granddaughter. But that will all be a distant memory this weekend as we welcome the most academically qualified undergraduate class in the university’s history. This is the third consecutive year our incoming class has set records in terms of academic quality.
While the administrative demands did slow a bit over the summer, there was plenty to keep us busy. Here are just a few of the highlights:
Don Gatzke, dean of the School of Architecture, and Teresa Soufas, dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences, each signed up for another five-year term in their respective positions. The provost and I look forward to working with them as they continue to lead their schools.
Despite the fallout of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and a weak market and economy, we had the second best fund raising year in Tulane’s history, raising $66 million in FY ’02, versus a record-breaking $70 million in FY ’01. We also surpassed our goals and set a record for the number of donors (14,100) and amount given (more than $5.4 million) to our Annual Fund.
Data on funding for Research and Development in FY ’02 is not yet complete but we are looking for another strong year on top of the record-breaking year we had in FY ’01.
The President’s Cabinet did a thorough review of accomplishments related to the university’s strategic plan and established a number of key academic and administrative objectives for the upcoming year. I will share these with you later in the fall.
All in all, FY ’02 turned out to be a strong year, especially when viewed in the context of world events and economic conditions. I thank you all for this. Still, the economy continues to be weak and is negatively impacting all organizations. For example, for the second straight year, the market value of our endowment decreased even though we out-performed the benchmark indices and most other universities. Donors continue to be reluctant to make large, multi-year gifts because of the market’s uncertainty. Despite all of this uncertainty, we are determined to keep our momentum going. It will not be easy but together we will succeed.
Finally, there are a number of dates to keep in mind as the new semester approaches. But none is more important than the first anniversary of 9/11. We are planning a university-wide memorial service in remembrance of the tragic events and heroes of that day. I will tell you more about this as the date approaches.
It feels good to be back online with you. I missed the opportunity to communicate with you in this way over the summer.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk July 29, 2002
TULANE TALK
July 29, 2002
Good Morning:
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Pierre Buekens has accepted the position of dean at Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Buekens comes to us from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he has been professor and chairman of the Department of Maternal and Child Health since 1996 and associate dean for Global Health at the university’s School of Public Health. He is also a fellow at the school’s Carolina Population Center. Dr. Buekens is an outstanding scholar, educator and academic administrator with an impressive record of institution building.
Dr. Buekens received his medical degree, summa cum laude, from the Free University of Brussels in 1979 and a master of public health, also summa cum laude, from the Free University in 1982. He also earned his certification in obstetrics and gynecology in 1984 and his Ph.D. in epidemiology and public health, with high honors, in 1988.
Dr. Buekens completed his residency at Saint Pierre University in Brussels from 1979-1982 and was a researcher at Free University from 1982 to 1996. During this period he also served as a visiting associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a guest researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology Branch at Research Triangle Park and the medical officer in charge of the supervision of Brussels’ prenatal clinics. From 1995 to 1996 he was vice president of Free University of Brussels’ School of Public Health.
Dr. Buekens, who is fluent in English, French and Spanish and conversant in Dutch, has served as a consultant for the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other international organizations. He has published numerous articles and edited two books related to his research interests in perinatal epidemiology, minority health and evaluation of perinatal services.
Dr. Buekens will replace Ann C. Anderson, who has ably served as acting dean of our School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine since October 1999. Under Ann’s leadership the school strengthened its financial position while training students and public health professionals throughout the state and world to deal with public health threats ranging from long-known illnesses to bioterrorist attacks. A major focus of Ann’s tenure was utilizing distance learning in public health education. To that end, she oversaw the establishment of an innovative program in which students can fulfill all the requirements of a degree in occupational health and safety without ever stepping foot on campus.
I offer my sincere thanks to Ann for her stewardship of the dean’s office. I would also like to thank Dr. Paul Whelton, senior vice president for Health Sciences, Dr. Bob Magnani, chair of the dean’s search committee, and the entire committee for the successful completion of their task.
I hope you all join me in welcoming Pierre and his family when they become part of the Tulane community in January 2003.
Tulane Talk June 28, 2002
TULANE TALK
June 28, 2002
Good Morning:
At the end of the academic year I told you I would send a Tulane Talk to you over the summer as events and circumstances warranted. At the time I didn’t realize I would be sending you news that Tulane made history.
But that is just what happened recently when the Board of Tulane selected Catherine D. Pierson as its new chair-elect. Cathy, who received master’s degrees in both history and social work from Tulane University, is the first woman in Tulane’s 168-year history to head the university’s governing and policy-making authority. Her three-year term as chair will begin July 1, 2003.
Cathy became a member of the Board of Tulane in 1995. She is a past member of the board’s Physical Plant and Campus Development Committee, the Liaison Committee on the Planning Process, the Finance Committee and the Honorary Degree Committee. She was also a member of the Presidential Search Committee who, I’m glad to say, brought me to Tulane. Cathy currently serves as chair of the Tulane University Healthcare System Governing Board and is a member of the Tulane University Health Sciences Center Committee, the Development Committee, the Academic Affairs Committee, the Executive Committee, the Nominating Committee and the Personnel Committee. She also served as founding chair of the Tulane Cancer Center Community Advisory Board and is a member of the Tulane Murphy Foundation Board of Directors. In addition, she serves as the Board of Tulane’s representative to the School of Social Work’s Advisory Council.
Besides her involvement with Tulane, Cathy is also a member of the boards of the Economics Institute and the Institute of Mental Hygiene. She is past president and founding board member of the Louisiana Children’s Museum and has served on the boards of the YWCA, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the Bureau of Governmental Research and Kent School in Kent, Connecticut.
In addition to Cathy’s appointment, Linda Smith Wilson was also selected to join the Board of Tulane. Linda was the last president of Radcliffe College before it merged with Harvard University in 1999 and became the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies.
She received a B.A. from Tulane’s Newcomb College and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. She was a research faculty member in chemistry at the University of Maryland and then served as a senior administrator in three major research universities prior to becoming president of Radcliffe in 1989.
Linda has served on numerous national advisory groups appointed by federal government science agencies, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Council on Education and scientific societies. She has also served as a trustee of the Massachusetts General Hospital, as a director of Citizen’s Financial Group, Inc., and as a director of Value Line, Inc. Currently Wilson is a director of Myriad Genetics, Inc., Inacom, Inc., and ICANN (the Internet Corporation for the Assignment of Names and Numbers). She is a trustee of the Committee on Economic Development and an Honorary Trustee of the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also on the board of visitors of the University of Wisconsin College of Letters and Sciences and the Newcomb Dean’s Advisory Council.
She is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the American Chemical Society and the Society of Research Administrators. In 1986 Linda received the Centennial Award for Outstanding Accomplishment from Newcomb and in 1993 was awarded honorary doctorates from Newcomb and from the University of Maryland at College Park. More recently she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin.
I know with the experience and leadership of these two outstanding people our board will continue to guide the entire Tulane community with integrity and wisdom. I look forward to working with them and all the members of our board for the betterment of our university and our community.
Have a great weekend,
Tulane Talk May 17, 2002
TULANE TALK
May 17, 2002
Good Morning:
What a week! I have devoted most of the last few days to meetings with the Board of Tulane. You would be pleased to know that they are an extremely dedicated, talented and committed group. It is a pleasure to work with them.
Commencement 2002, the pinnacle of the academic year, is upon us. This year’s graduating class is extra special for me because I, like most of them, came to Tulane four years ago. I wonder if our graduates are as astonished as I am that the time has passed so quickly.
Anyway, I’m not the only one who is excited about Commencement. I found out this week that C-SPAN is planning to send a crew to cover our ceremony which, as you know, begins at 9:30 a.m. on May 18 in the Superdome. The keynote speaker for this year’s Commencement is Pulitzer-prize winning columnist and best-selling author William Safire. He should be interesting! We will let you know when our Commencement appears on C-SPAN.
I hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend the Commencement ceremony. This is an ideal time for us to gather together and celebrate what defines us as a community. The Commencement Weekend officially began last night with the annual Senior Emeritus Crawfish Boil honoring the class of 2002 and the class of 1952. Margie and I are having a wonderful time greeting visitors to campus and congratulating our graduates.
Have a great Commencement Weekend,