New Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology Links Winship With Graduate School

A new interdisciplinary doctoral program in cancer biology will allow students with a primary interest in cancer research to train with faculty associated with Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center — the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

Emory University’s Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (GDBBS), a division of the Laney Graduate School, in partnership with Winship, is creating a new doctoral program in Cancer Biology and will begin accepting students in the spring of 2011 for fall enrollment.

The Cancer Biology graduate program will provide students with the ability to focus their course work and training specifically in all domains of cancer research. Although graduate students have been able to work in laboratories at Emory specializing in cancer, organizers expect the new program to expand training and research opportunities.

“There has been considerable interest in cancer among applicants to the GDBBS, yet no single program existed to capture students who have a primary interest in cancer research. Our goal is to recruit the brightest young scientists interested in cancer,” says Erwin Van Meir, PhD, professor of neurosurgery and hematology and medical oncology, and the program’s founding director.

Students will be able to tailor their training, addressing areas such as the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive cancer initiation and progression, or the more clinical and translational aspects of cancer therapeutics and drug discovery.

“The creation of a graduate program in cancer biology aligns with Winship’s strategic vision, which includes education of the next generation of cancer scientists,” says Walter Curran, MD, executive director of Winship. “This is an important program that will influence the field of cancer research in the years to come.”

Like other PhD training programs in the GDBBS, the Cancer Biology program stands outside a single departmental base. As such it will draw from a diverse base of Emory faculty with active research labs representing several departments within the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory College departments including Chemistry, Biology and Physics, and the nearby Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“It’s important to recognize that the Cancer Biology program will enhance and complement the other graduate programs within the GDBBS,” says Keith Wilkinson, professor of biochemistry and director of the GDBBS. “Because of its interdisciplinary approach and large number of training opportunities, the Cancer Biology program will fit well within the GDBBS.”

Lisa Tedesco, PhD, Laney Graduate School Dean, is enthusiastic about the new program. “The Cancer Biology program promises to be an outstanding area for doctoral student preparation, in its contributions to new science and new cures, with high impact in basic, translational and clinical research.”

The new program will initially accept six new students per year with matriculation starting in Fall 2011 and applications opening this month. The Cancer Biology program will represent the ninth PhD program within GDBBS, and the first new program in over a decade.

Paula Vertino, PhD, Emory professor of radiation oncology, will serve as director of graduate studies. Lawrence Boise, PhD, professor of hematology and medical oncology, will serve as director of recruitment.



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Scholarship Event Planned for Aspiring Seminary Students

Emory University's Candler School of Theology is helping make theological education affordable for the next generation of Christian leaders by hosting a special scholarship event Feb. 28-March 2, 2010.

Leadership Candler will bring together a distinguished group of prospective Master of Divinity students from across the country and the world. The three-day event includes interviews with scholarship committees, visits to classes and conversations with Candler's faculty. Leadership Candler also features interaction with current students and staff, group discussions and a campus tour, including time to explore Pitts Theology Library, one of North America's premier theological libraries.

The 2010 Leadership Candler participants will be offered awards totaling more than $575,000, all providing at least full tuition. Each year, Candler offers up to 30 scholarships, including awards that offer full tuition, fees and a $10,000 annual stipend. In fall 2009, 57 entering Master of Divinity students received full tuition scholarships, totaling more than $100,000. See a complete list of the scholarships available and more information about Leadership Candler.

Candidates for Leadership Candler should apply for admission and complete the Leadership Candler application no later than Jan. 15, 2010. Leadership Candler candidates must demonstrate confident and unselfish character combined with deep concern for others; intellectual achievement; impressive communication skills; significant leadership and creativity in school, church or community; and a clear potential for enriching the lives of their peers at Candler.


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Emory's Oxford College, Candler School of Theology Receive $4.25 Million in Gifts from Oxford College Alumnus' Estate

Oxford College of Emory University and Emory's Candler School of Theology have received gifts totaling more than $4.25 million from the Charles Edwin Suber Foundation.

Oxford College received a $3.35 million gift, the largest cash gift in the college's history, and Candler School of Theology received a gift of $903,177. Both gifts were unrestricted to be used for the most pressing needs of the schools.

The Suber Foundation was established by the estate of Charles Edwin "Ed" Suber. A 1942 graduate of Oxford College who passed away in November 2007, Suber attended Emory University and was retired from the Fulton County Superior Court system as court clerk.

A portion of the Oxford College gift, $100,000, will be used to establish a scholarship in Suber's name. The remaining $3.25 million will be used to support Oxford's building program, including a new science facility, which would replace the current facility built in 1965, and a new library, replacing the current 1970 building.

Stephen H. Bowen, dean of Oxford College, says, "We have needed a major gift to create momentum in raising funds for these building projects. This is that gift. When we look back after 10 years, we will recognize this as a pivotal moment in the development of Oxford College."

Candler School of Theology Dean Jan Love says she will assess where the gift can best be applied in light of funding needs for the second phase of Candler's building projects, as well as student support and faculty enhancement.

"The generosity of this lifelong United Methodist layman is overwhelming and will benefit the Candler community for generations to come. We are deeply grateful for this remarkable gift," Love says.

Suber was a lifelong resident of Atlanta's Ben Hill community, where his family owned and operated the C.P. Suber Grocery Store. He served in the Army during World War II.

Jim Campbell, executor of Suber's estate, says his first cousin was an ordinary man who has left an extraordinary legacy.

"Ed indicated a direction through the gifts he made through his will, and we followed through with that direction," says Campbell, who chose Oxford College and Candler School of Theology to receive gifts from Suber's estate. "He was very kind and he had a great sense of humor. He loved to travel and square dance. He lived a very simple life, but he was very generous to those people and causes he cared about. He was a great person, and his life will go on even if he is not here."

These gifts are part of Campaign Emory, a $1.6 billion fund-raising endeavor that combines private support and the university’s people, places and programs to make a powerful contribution to the world. Investments through Campaign Emory fuel efforts to address fundamental challenges: improving health, gaining ground in science and technology, resolving conflict, harnessing the power of the arts, and educating the heart and mind.


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Emory Prevention Research Center Awarded $6.2 Million CDC Grant

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded the Emory Prevention Research Center (EPRC) $6.2 million in a five-year grant renewal, Emory University researchers have announced.

The new grant award will enable the Emory Prevention Research Center, housed at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH), to continue its mission to prevent cancer and reduce health disparities among residents of rural southwest Georgia.

Established in 2004, the Emory Prevention Research Center is one of 35 CDC-funded Prevention Research Centers nationwide working as a network to conduct disease prevention research and promote public health in partnership with communities. The EPRC partners with the Southwest Georgia (SWGA) Cancer Coalition and a Community Advisory Board to conduct research, offer training, share research results, and provide evaluation technical assistance to local organizations in 33 counties of rural southwest Georgia.

Five years ago, the EPRC and its partners in Southwest Georgia collaborated to conduct the Healthy Rural Communities studies. Now, they are testing a program called Healthy Homes/Healthy Families in which trained coaches from the community work with families. The coaches will help the families assess their homes for healthy eating and physical activity opportunities. Then, the families and coaches will work together to make changes at home.

"The study is designed to see if we can change the home environment to make it healthier and whether changing the home environment leads to improved behavior," says Michelle Kegler, DrPH, EPRC director and principal investigator, and associate professor of behavioral sciences and health education at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH).

The new funding includes support for the EPRC’s research, but the Center also conducts training for community-based organizations to build local capacity for health promotion programs and provides technical assistance on evaluation for local organizations. Urban areas tend to have greater resources for health promotion than rural areas, so the EPRC is working closely with its partners in a 33-county region of Southwest Georgia to provide more research and other resources.

“Our partnership with the EPRC provides opportunities for southwest Georgia residents to participate in important research that ultimately may lead to improvements in health care across our regions,” says Diane Fletcher, chief executive officer of the Southwest Georgia Cancer Coalition. “We look forward to continuing these collaborative efforts that help to fulfill the Cancer Coalition’s mission to serve the people of our communities.”

The CDC grant award also provides special interest project grants for RSPH faculty to advance research in cancer and other diseases. This year’s award of $2.2 million includes four special interest projects and two additional new projects, including the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network, which promotes the use of evidence-based programs for cancer control locally and nationally.

Other Emory projects funded this year include:

• Study of Active Surveillance Attitudes and Perceptions for Prostate Cancer led by Theresa Gillespie, PhD, associate professor, Emory University School of Medicine

• Coordinating Center for the Managing Epilepsy Well (MEW) Prevention Research Centers Network led by Colleen DiIorio, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor, Rollins School of Public Health

• Multiple Perspectives on Dual Protection Use by Young Women led by Ralph DiClemente, PhD, professor, Rollins School of Public Health, and Melissa Kottke, MD, assistant professor, Emory University School of Medicine

“We’ve laid a great foundation for collaborative research over the past five years, and we are excited about what can be accomplished with our community partners in the next five years,” says Kegler.


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UGA family researchers receive $5.9 million grant

University of Georgia researchers have been awarded a five-year, $5.9 million Core Center of Excellence grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to address the ways genetic predispositions combine with family and community environments to forecast drug use, drug abuse and risky sexual behavior among children, adolescents and young adults.

The principal investigator is Gene H. Brody, Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Child and Family Development in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences and director of the Center for Family Research. Co-principal investigators are Steven R.H. Beach, director of the UGA Institute for Behavioral Research and Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology, and Steven M. Kogan, assistant professor of child and family development.

The CCOE will bring together a team of molecular and statistical geneticists, genetic epidemiologists and scientists specializing in prevention, public health and human development. Participating researchers are at the University of Georgia, Emory University, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Iowa.

The grant will allow Brody and his fellow researchers to build on longitudinal, epidemiological research that dates back more than two decades. In that original research, Brody and his colleagues identified young people who were at risk for engaging in drug use, drug abuse, and risky sexual behavior. They also identified specific parenting practices and community characteristics that served to minimize the incidence of young people’s engagement in risky behavior.

Recently, Brody and his colleagues have begun to study the role genes play in the development of these risky behaviors. This research has begun to identify candidate genes that forecast increases in substance use and behavior problems among youth, as well as ways in which participation in prevention programs can override genetic risks.

The ultimate goal of the Center of Excellence, Brody said, “is to increase the efficacy of prevention programs by developing a better understanding of how genes and social environments interact to influence youths’ initiation and escalation of substance use and risky behaviors.”

More information on the UGA Center for Family Research is available at http://www.cfr.uga.edu/.

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Emory Launches Graduate Program in Bioethics

Emory University is launching a new master of arts degree program in bioethics, which will provide advanced interdisciplinary study for professionals and students interested in the social and ethical challenges facing medicine and the life sciences.

“I am very pleased to be launching our master's program in bioethics," says Paul Root Wolpe, director of Emory's Center for Ethics, which is the academic home of the program.

"We have designed the program to give the students a thorough grounding in bioethics while providing hands-on experience in institutions like the Centers for Disease Control, NASA, the Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia, and Emory’s superb medical, nursing, public health, law, business and theology schools," says Wolpe. "The program is so innovative and exciting I wish I could take it myself.”

“We are excited to add a master’s degree in bioethics,” says Lisa A. Tedesco, vice provost and dean of Emory's James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies. “The program reflects our strong commitment to scholarship that engages difficult problems and contributes to the public good, and it resonates deeply with the expertise, experience and resources available at Emory. We are grateful to Kathy Kinlaw, associate director of the Center for Ethics, and her team for leading the creation of this new degree program, and to Paul Root Wolpe for the vision and leadership he has brought to the Center.”

“Graduates of Emory’s master's in bioethics program will be trained to help advance the national conversation on important issues influencing public policy, scholarship, practice and education in the field,” says Kinlaw, who also directs the Center’s program in health sciences and ethics.

Faculty of the Center for Ethics who are teaching in the program include scholars and practitioners in a variety of disciplines, such as medicine, nursing, public health, law, theology, business, the life sciences, philosophy, religion, sociology and psychology.

Courses in the new program began this fall with six students enrolled in the inaugural class. The program anticipates strong interdisciplinary interest as recruitment for fall 2010 begins.

For more information on Emory's new bioethics master's degree program, contact Kinlaw at 404-727-2201.


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Emory Launches Mentoring for Careers in Health

Emory has launched a PreHealth Mentoring Office this fall, designed to provide support and guidance to undergraduates planning to go on to medical school or other advanced studies in the field of health.

“This office will play a strategic advisory role — helping students identify their strengths and interests and to develop their passions,” says Preetha Ram, assistant dean of science in the Office of Undergraduate Education. “By providing mentorship as early as possible in their college careers, we can help students achieve better than expected results.”

For 2009-10, the primary focus will be on second-year students. In addition to advising students, the goals include creating community among prehealth students and expanding their opportunities to do internships, research and study abroad programs, and to shadow physicians and other health professionals.

A new Web site, www.emory.edu/ prehealth, provides links to events and other information.

Ram is serving as director of the PreHealth Mentoring Office, with the support of Paul Fowler, executive director of the Career Center, and Peter Sederberg, special assistant to the Office of the Provost.

“This is a pure partnership between the College, the Career Center and the Provost’s office,” says Fowler. “There has been growing interest in how to serve the prehealth population of students, because there are so many students interested, and it’s getting increasingly competitive.”

More than 500 students in the class of 2013 have declared themselves as prehealth majors, including a range of medical fields. About 200 students within every Emory class plan to apply to medical school. In November of 2008, Emory College Dean Bobby Paul assigned a task force to find ways to help support the efforts of these students to get accepted into top-tier medical schools.

The first goal of the task force was to launch a composite letter of recommendation process. The composite letter provides a cover letter for multiple letters of recommendation, summing up the accomplishments of a student in a format geared specifically for medical school applications.

After the composite letter process got up and rolling last spring, the task force began focusing on development of a PreHealth Mentoring Office. A series of undergraduate dialogues organized by Senior Vice Provost Santa Ono “were instrumental in raising awareness of the need for advising for pre-med students,” Ram says, adding that the dialogues “convinced those present, including Provost Earl Lewis, Dean Paul and Vice President for Campus Life John Ford of the need for immediate action.”

President Jim Wagner also supported the drive to create the office, and plans moved forward, guided by the input of students, faculty and administrators, from the college and the medical school.

“I think the PreHealth Mentoring Office is a fantastic idea that will help a lot of students,” says Lauren Spiegel, a senior pre-med major in the Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology program. As a freshman, Spiegel became involved in a mentoring program known as INSPIRE (Interdisciplinary Science Program for Integrating Research into Education), and she was among the students who helped make the composite letter program and the PreHealth Mentoring Office a reality.

“I’m really pleased that our research and efforts are paying off and it’s getting under way,” Spiegel says. “I think it’s really important for students to vouch for what we want, and to get involved in making positive changes happen. It’s exciting to have these opportunities to make an impact at Emory.”

By Carol Clark

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Emory Ranked 17th by U.S. News & World Report

For the 17th consecutive year, Emory University is among the top 20 national universities in U.S. News & World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges," ranking 17th. Emory's Goizueta Business School was 13th in the rankings of undergraduate business programs.

"While external recognition is gratifying, the true measure of a university is revealed in the work of its faculty, staff and students," said Provost Earl Lewis. "Emory is committed to combining its strengths and resources in pursuit of academic excellence in teaching, research and quality of the student experience."

Emory's rankings on the survey's components included 12th place in faculty resources, ahead of Stanford (14th), Johns Hopkins (22nd) and several other highly ranked universities. The faculty resources indicator is mainly derived from faculty compensation and class size distribution.

Emory was ranked 11th in the "Top Up-and-Coming Schools," a list of colleges and universities singled out in a survey of experts as having recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or facilities.

Emory also was cited for its economic diversity, ranking 6th among national universities, with 14 percent of undergraduates receiving need-based Pell grants. In 2007, the university initiated Emory Advantage, a program of financial aid to help lower- and middle-income students and families reduce debt during the undergraduate years.

Emory ranked 12th in alumni giving, with an average of 37 percent of alumni contributing to the school over a two-year period.

The rankings appear today at www.usnews.com.

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Foundations, Higher-Education Leaders Explore Models to Increase Access

/PRNewswire/ -- On this historic campus that is the original nineteenth-century home of Emory University, twenty invitees representing some of higher education's most respected institutions have come together to discuss an issue with important implications for U.S. education in the twenty-first century: how to make higher education available more broadly and equitably to current underrepresented groups while also maintaining academic excellence and addressing financial and policy concerns. The conference, "Transformative Models in Higher Education," was organized by the University of Michigan's Center for Advancing Research & Solutions for Society (CARSS), hosted by Emory University and funded by the Ford Foundation.

Groups participating in the conference, held June 18-19, were education researchers, higher-education administrators and foundations with a strong focus on education. Researchers came from the University of Michigan's CARSS, School of Education, Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching; the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education; Indiana University's National Survey of Student Engagement; and Wabash College's Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts. MDRC, a nonprofit education and social-policy research organization, was also represented. Higher-education administrators and foundations represented included the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Educational Testing Service, Lumina Foundation, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good. Also participating in the conference was Derek Bok, president emeritus of Harvard University, who gave the keynote address.

The focus of consideration was organizational and programmatic models that have fostered high levels of participation and academic success for students from underrepresented minority populations with the goal of identifying "active ingredients" in the programs' success. These were being examined in part because, following the 2003 Supreme Court decision in a case involving the University of Michigan, criteria used to promote minority participation in the past will not be as applicable in the future. The models presented included Lone Star College-CyFair Campus (Texas), the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's C-STEP Program, the Posse Foundation and Oxford College.

Special attention was given to Emory's Oxford College. Located 38 miles east of Emory University's Atlanta campus, Oxford is one of Emory's nine academic divisions. One-fifth of the students in each Emory freshman class choose to begin their baccalaureate studies with Oxford's liberal-arts-intensive program, which spans their freshman and sophomore years. As juniors, they continue their studies on Emory's Atlanta campus. At Oxford, students have a smaller student body (approximately 750 students total), lower average class sizes (approximately 19) and faculty who, in the absence of academic majors and graduate programs, have the luxury of focusing primarily on classroom teaching. Forty-seven percent of students at Oxford come from minority populations, and many are the first in their family to attend college. These students enjoy high levels of academic success and degree completion at Emory. Oxford places great importance on teaching methods that produce active, engaged learning and, as a two-year course of study, offers unusual leadership opportunities for freshmen and sophomores.

"We were honored to assemble such a stellar group," said Earl Lewis, Emory University provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, who convened the conference. "Their discussion of the Oxford College program gave us invaluable feedback and analysis, and their enthusiasm helps fuel our efforts to make this now-unique model better known."

Conferees concluded that the Oxford model could be applied or adapted at a large number of research institutions. Organizers from CARSS are distilling the conclusions from the conference with the intention of identifying the possibilities for applying existing models and developing new ones.

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Emory Receives Support to Launch Degree Program in Sustainable Development

Emory University has been selected by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, globally headquartered in Chicago, as one of 10 universities worldwide to receive significant support in the amount of $900,000 to create a new master’s degree program in development practice.

The MacArthur Foundation has awarded $7.6 million to seed the creation of master’s of development practice (MDP) degree programs that will provide rigorous post-graduate training for a new generation of development experts over the next three years.

“It’s a privilege to receive this grant and to continue to expand Emory’s engagement with sustainable development around the world,” said Lisa A. Tedesco, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. “This program will build on Emory’s abiding commitment to scholarship and teaching that contributes to the public good, and to collaboration with partners outside the academic world. We are proud to help train a new generation of development professionals who will address some of the greatest problems facing the world.”

"This is a very exciting moment for Emory," said David Nugent, director of Emory's MDP program. "We are deeply honored to have been selected by the MacArthur Foundation to help train the innovative development practitioners who will define the future of sustainable development practice."

The MDP programs are designed to provide graduate students with training beyond the typical focus on classroom study of economics and management found in most development studies. The program’s core curriculum bridges the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences and management. It combines classroom study with field experiences in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering, management, environmental science, education and nutrition.

“Through our work around the globe, we at MacArthur understand that poverty, population, health, conservation, and human rights are all interconnected, requiring sustained and comprehensive interventions,” said Foundation President Jonathan Fanton. “These new programs are a model for training the next generation of these critically needed professionals."

Through financial and other support, Emory's program will emphasize the health and governance-related aspects of sustainable development through its work with partners that include the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CARE and The Carter Center.

Other universities that will receive funding to establish MDP programs are: Columbia University (New York, N.Y.), The Energy Resources Institute University (New Delhi, India), James Cook University (Cairns and Townsville, Australia), Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland), Tsinghua University (Beijing, China), University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Senegal), University of Botswana (Gaborone, Botswana), University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.), and the University of Ibadan (Ibadan, Nigeria).

Columbia will serve as secretariat in helping to manage the MDP network of universities, and will develop an open-source repository for the MDP curriculum and other teaching materials. Ultimately, materials will be shared with other universities as part of an open-source resource on sustainable development for students worldwide, including an online global classroom.

The universities are expected to produce 250 graduates with a master’s degree in development practice by 2012, with a total of 750 students enrolled. Universities were selected based on numerous criteria, including support from top university leadership, excellent infrastructure and academic programs, the ability to serve as a regional hub, geographic representation among students, exceptional faculty, and a timeline and business plan for financial sustainability when funding ends in three years.

There was widespread global interest in establishing the programs, and the quality and diversity of the proposals indicate strong interest in expanding inter-disciplinary development studies around the world. More than 70 universities in North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America submitted proposals.


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Teen Scientists RISE Up to Research Challenges

Emory University's chair of biology Victor Corces has opened the doors of his lab to Atlanta public high school students.

Concerned about how to cultivate the next generation of scientists and increase their diversity, Corces developed RISE -- Research Internship and Science Education. Named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor in 2006, Corces was one of just 20 U.S. scientists chosen to receive $1 million grant to fund education initiatives when he was named Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor in 2006.

The high schoolers work alongside graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the lab, getting hands on experience. "What I do is involve them in a group project—one that is very important to everything we are doing in the lab," Corces says.

Current RISE students Maza Rose Tchedou and Sharonta Johnson from Atlanta's Carver High School recently won second and third place awards at the state science fair. And Tchedou was selected to compete at an international science fair in Reno, Nevada, in May. They both plan to study science; Johnston will attend Georgia State University next year, and Tchedou hopes to attend Emory.

The Corces lab is at the forefront of examining how different proteins form loops of DNA threads, or chromatin fibers, that can then interact. Lab members have identified several important proteins involved in regulating gene expression, and Corces believes the high school students can find more.

"It's easy for them to find something that looks important—but then they have to study it to find out if it really is," he says. Besides adding a sense of competition to engage students in the lab, Corces also helps them understand that their discoveries might one day lead to a breakthrough in the study of genetic diseases like muscular dystrophy.

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Emory Advantage Support Aids Students

If it were not for Emory Advantage, Willow Wood may not have been able to attend college at all, much less realize her dream of studying at Oxford College of Emory University.

Wood knew about Oxford from the stories of her aunt and uncle, who attended Oxford. A junior now at Emory College studying environmental science, Wood says the Emory Advantage program was the only way her dream could have come true. The oldest of four girls, she knew it would be tough to afford college — her mom is a carriage driver and her dad, who grapples with a disability, has worked in the restaurant industry.

“I grew up on stories of Oxford, and I knew it was a special place. I was able to go there, too, because of Emory Advantage,” says Wood. “I can take a full class load without working full-time as well. And I don’t have to worry about graduating with a huge debt.”

Emory Advantage, the university’s financial aid program benefiting low- and middle-income students, was established in 2007 and offers two kinds of aid: the Loan Replacement Grant to replace need-based loans for dependent undergraduate students whose families’ annual total assessed incomes are $50,000 or less, and the Loan Cap Program which caps cumulative need-based debt at $15,000 for dependent undergraduate students whose families’ annual total assessed incomes are between $50,000 and $100,000.

Undergraduate students at Oxford College, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta Business School, and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing are eligible for the Emory Advantage program, and more than 634 students have benefited from the program since its inception. In addition, more than $11 million has been raised so far during Campaign Emory toward the University’s goal of building a permanent endowment.

In today’s economy, programs like Emory Advantage and other scholarship are often the best chance for many promising students to attend a university like Emory without the burden of debt. Says Provost Earl Lewis: “Funds to attend Emory during difficult financial times are critical to our mission of educating our best and brightest regardless of the student’s ability to pay. If ever there was a time to help, this is it.”

Emory Advantage is just one of many programs at Emory where gifts can be directed to help provide critical resources for current and prospective students. Regardless of area of interest, scholarship and fellowship funding opportunities exist in all corners of Emory’s campus. And each of these areas has identified student support as a high priority within Campaign Emory.

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New Grant to Foster Integrity in Scholarship and Research

Research ethics and integrity will be the focus of a new program in development at Emory Graduate School. The program is one of five projects nationwide to receive a Project for Scholarly Integrity grant as part of a federal initiative to advance the scope and quality of graduate education in the ethical and responsible conduct of research.

The grants were awarded by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), with funding from the U.S. Office of Research Integrity. Amid heightened concerns about academic research misconduct, CGS’s Project for Scholarly Integrity seeks to better inform students, researchers and faculty about the ethical responsibilities and complexities of research in the 21st century.

One of the challenges in graduate education is to prepare students with the skills in ethical reasoning to deal with never-before-encountered situations says Lisa Tedesco, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for academic affairs at Emory University.

“We have responsibilities to educate our doctoral students in the most up-to-date ways about the complexities in their research environment,” says Tedesco. “Our program will seek to harness the critical thinking and analysis skills that they use every day in their research to engage more deeply into research ethics and the responsible conduct of research.”

Tedesco says critical reflection will be a major component of the program, including learning various “approaches to asking challenging questions and getting people comfortable with those difficult conversations.”

Since evidence suggests that many students fear judgment in addressing ethical problems in research, the Graduate School's process-oriented program seeks to build contexts in which ethical dilemmas can be candidly discussed. The program will focus on a student’s development as a responsible researcher, supporting that development with three distinct goals:

• Program integration: Education in research ethics and integrity must be integrated into the curriculum of the student’s program.

• Skills of critical reflection: Students need time and space to practice thinking through complicated problems of professional integrity.

• Knowledge of research principles: Students should be acquainted with rules and principles established by the law, professional codes of ethics, and best practices in the discipline.

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American and Chinese Universities Announce Groundbreaking Joint PhD Program in Biomedical Engineering

Two highly respected biomedical engineering programs in the United States and China are breaking new ground in international academia as they begin to enroll the inaugural class of a new joint PhD program.

Members of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University traveled to Beijing last fall to finalize the program details with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Peking University (PKU).

"To my knowledge, this joint PhD program is the first of this type showcasing international cooperation in education between China and the United States. Forming a partnership with Georgia Tech and Emory will enhance our research and education in general and will provide a great opportunity for our BME students," says Jianhua Lin, Peking University Provost.

Representatives from Georgia Tech, Emory and PKU have been laying the groundwork for this program during the past five years. Faculty collaborations have been funded by seed grants from the Coulter Foundation and, as a result, several new research projects are already underway.

“Our partnership with the recently formed College of Engineering at PKU is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to create a new paradigm for international biomedical engineering education and research,” says Larry McIntire, chair of the Coulter Department. “The infrastructure being created within our departments will allow our students and faculty to learn how to conduct research and business in a global arena and will prepare them to become international leaders in 21st century biomedical engineering industry and academia.”

James W. Wagner, president of Emory University, says Emory “has been engaged with Peking University for several years in developing educational and research relationships. We are very excited about launching this new global endeavor in biomedical engineering that joins the diverse strengths of three excellent institutions.”

Students can apply to the program through either the Department of Biomedical Engineering at PKU in Beijing or the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory in Atlanta. Students will have an advisor at their home campus and co-advisor at their secondary campus. Primary classes and research will take place on the home campus. However, students will also spend at least a year taking classes and participating in research in the co-advisor’s lab on the secondary campus. Classes will be taught in English and a single dissertation will satisfy the thesis requirements of all three institutions.

Founded in 1898, Peking University is among the first national universities in Chinese modern history. PKU enjoys an outstanding reputation within and outside of China, based on its abundant teaching resources and outstanding research achievements. Peking University now consists of 31 colleges and 14 departments, offering 101 undergraduate programs, 224 postgraduate programs and 202 doctoral programs. The student body includes more than 4,000 international students from nearly 80 countries.

The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University is dedicated to shaping and advancing the discipline of biomedical engineering through innovative translational research, inspiring education and the comprehensive integration of engineering methods into the mainstream of health care. Founded in 1997, the department is currently ranked second among graduate programs in Biomedical Engineering by the 2009 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools in America.

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Emory Receives Presidential Award for Community Service

Emory University has been honored with the 2008 Presidential Award for General Community Service -- the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. Emory is one of only three colleges and universities to earn this annual distinction from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

"We are humbled and energized by this recognition of our efforts," says Emory University President James W. Wagner. "Receiving this honor affirms Emory as a destination university for students who seek an education beyond the traditional classroom setting. We know that bright young scholars want to make a difference today, and trust that in the future they will continue to be drawn to educational settings like Emory. In turn, Emory is committed to providing our students with a world class education and the sense of responsibility to become scholar-citizens addressing opportunities to improve the human condition in myriad ways."

Emory -- one of the first schools to receive the Carnegie Foundation's "Engaged Institution" designation -- has made major investments in recent years to better prepare students to be engaged scholars with the critical thinking, hands-on experience and ethical leadership development to make a difference in the world.

The Presidential Award for General Community Service recognizes "the breadth and quality of an institution’s community service, service learning and civic engagement programs.” Three other colleges and universities received recognition for individual programs. View a full list of the 2008 Honor Roll, which includes several Atlanta-area schools.

Doing Well by Doing Good

In 2008, Emory students completed nearly 150,000 hours of service with more than 200 community partners on projects related to poverty, homelessness, chronic disease, medical services and environmental conservation throughout Atlanta and beyond.

Emory's Office of University-Community Partnerships (OUCP) helps coordinate these efforts and is establishing a continuum of engaged scholarship and service for all students. A capstone program is the yearlong Community Building and Social Change Fellowship, a national model for advanced service learning.

"Emory has made a significant commitment to enhance community-engaged scholarship, learning and service as part of its strategic plan. We are delighted that the vision, aspirations and initial successes of that effort along with Emory's longstanding tradition of civic engagement have earned the university this national recognition," says Michael Rich, OUCP co-founder and director.

In particular at Emory, students at all levels, from undergraduates to graduate students in law, medicine, humanities and theology, engage in service and research that provides direct and tangible benefits to metro Atlanta communities, Rich says.

Highlights of Emory's engaged scholarship and service in 2008, compiled by OUCP, include:

A full third of all students across Emory’s nine schools took part in academic service learning, including law students who provided 26,076 hours of pro bono work for local clinics and agencies.

More than 80 percent of Emory seniors reported serving as volunteers while in college.
In metro-Atlanta and statewide, Emory programs, mentors and tutors enrich the learning of K-12 students in more than 120 public schools, with a particular emphasis on science education.

Emory's outreach also includes hundreds of new immigrants now on the path to U.S. citizenship thanks to students who devoted 2,500 hours coaching English language learners of all ages.
Ninety-two percent of Oxford College students engage in community service, contributing nearly 10,000 hours of service in just one year.

Nearly all students in nursing and theology are required to complete community-based service work as part of their degree program.

National Trends Point to More Service

Recent studies have underlined the importance of service learning and volunteering to college students. In 2006, 2.8 million college students gave more than 297 million hours of volunteer service, according to the corporation’s Volunteering in America 2007 study. Using Independent Sector’s estimates of the value of volunteer time, college student volunteering was worth more than $5.6 billion last year. The U.S. Department of Education found a growing service-learning trend, with more schools offering service learning as part of their curriculum.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. The corporation administers Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America, a program that supports service-learning in schools, institutions of higher education and community-based organizations. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.

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Kiplinger's Names Emory a Top 10 Best Value

Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine has ranked Emory University ninth among the 100 best values in private universities that exemplify excellent academics while keeping costs to a minimum. See Kiplinger's 2009 Best Values: Private Colleges & Universities.

Selected from a pool of more than 600 private institutions provided by Peterson's, schools in the Kiplinger 100 are ranked according to academic quality and affordability, with quality accounting for two-thirds of the total.

Resources Remain Strong for Financial Aid

The Princeton Review also named Emory among its best values in private schools this week. The rankings reflect Emory's continuing commitment to “need blind” admissions and to meeting the full, demonstrated financial need for dependent, traditional undergraduate students. Emory also is working to increase accessibility for low- and middle-income students through the Emory Advantage grant and loan relief program and other financial aid.

"Emory, like all institutions and businesses, is having to adjust to a new economic reality and this will impact the budget in a variety of ways. However, financial aid is among our top priorities and we expect to devote more – not fewer – resources to financial aid in the coming years to ensure that all students who are admitted can attend independent of economic background," says Santa Ono, senior vice provost for undergraduate education.


Kiplinger's 2009 Top 10

The annual private school rankings appear in Kiplinger's February 2009 issue and at www.kiplinger.com.

California Institute of Technology
Yale
Princeton
Rice
Duke
Harvard
Dartmouth College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Emory
Stanford

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Emory Financial Aid: Resources Remain Strong

Emory University remains committed to "need blind" admissions and to meeting the full, demonstrated financial need for dependent, traditional undergraduate students during these challenging financial times.

"Emory, like all institutions and businesses, is having to adjust to a new economic reality and this will impact the budget in a variety of ways. However, financial aid is among our top priorities and we expect to devote more – not fewer – resources to financial aid in the coming years to ensure that all students who are admitted can attend independent of economic background," says Santa Ono, senior vice provost for undergraduate education.

Emory also is increasing accessibility for low- and middle-income students through the Emory Advantage grant and loan relief program as well as other financial aid programs. Overall, Emory's Office of Financial Aid is seeing increased demand for assistance due to the recent economic downturn. The financial aid staff is urging parents and students (prospective and current) to plan ahead to determine their budgets, apply early for aid and carefully weigh options.

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New Scholarship Event Offered by Emory's Candler School of Theology

Emory University's Candler School of Theology has created a new scholarship event called Leadership Candler that will bring together an outstanding group of prospective master of divinity students from across the country and the world. They will be considered for the school's most prestigious scholarships, including the Robert W. Woodruff Fellowships in Theology and Ministry and the Margaret A. Pitts Scholarships.

Thirty-five applicants will be invited to visit campus the weekend of March 1-3, 2009, with all expenses paid to experience Candler firsthand, says Shonda Jones, Candler's assistant dean of admissions and financial aid.

While on campus, applicants will participate in activities designed to help them "discern their vocations more clearly, offer insights on how to deepen their education, and develop practical skills for creative and faithful leadership," says Jones. The weekend will include visits to classes, conversations with faculty, a campus tour, interaction with current students and staff, group discussions, interviews with scholarship committees and opportunities to spend time with future classmates.

"This program seeks to help students who have strong potential and deep dedication become the leaders God is calling them to be," says Jan Love, dean of Candler. "Their future contributions to the church and the world should not be encumbered by an undue financial burden of educational debt. The school will ensure substantial financial support to underwrite the costs of their theological education."

Applicants to Leadership Candler must have demonstrated qualities of assertive and unselfish character; intellectual achievement; impressive skills in communication; significant leadership and creativity in school, church or community; and a clear potential for enriching the lives of fellow students.

Leadership Candler participants will be considered for the Woodruff Fellowships in Theology and Ministry, which offers full tuition, fees and a $10,000 stipend for three academic years. The fellowships are awarded to first-year students who typically have a 3.50 grade point average or higher in previous academic work. Candidates must have a minimum grade point average of 3.30 to apply.

Current Woodruff Fellow Rebecca Spurrier, who will graduate in 2009, says the contributions of current fellowship recipients have been diverse. "The Woodruff Fellowship has been more than just a financial gift; it has been a way of giving us confidence in our capacities to impact the Candler community and the wider world."

The Margaret A. Pitts Scholarships offer full tuition, fees and a $7,000 stipend for three academic years. Pitts Scholarships are awarded to first-year United Methodist students preparing for ministry as ordained deacons or elders. To be eligible, students must have begun the candidacy process in the United Methodist Church. Candidates must have a minimum grade point average of 3.30 to apply.

Leadership Candler participants also will be considered for many other prestigious scholarships, including Honor Scholarships, which offer full tuition for three academic years; Garrett Scholarships, which offer full tuition for three academic years for those preparing for pulpit ministries; and United Methodist Merit Scholarships, which offer full tuition for first-year students preparing for ordination in the United Methodist Church. Outstanding candidates also may be considered for other significant merit scholarships that are not conveyed in the Leadership Candler competition.

Applicants for Leadership Candler should submit the required materials no later than Feb. 1, 2009. Download scholarship application materials online.

Candler School of Theology is grounded in Christian faith and shaped by the Wesleyan tradition of evangelical piety, ecumenical openness, and social concern. The school is known for a remarkable faculty, innovative curriculum, extensive scholarship programs, unique resources of a top-ranked research university, and a faithful Christian community that affords students the opportunity to grow into faithful leaders for the future of Christian ministry and service. For more information about Candler and the academic and scholarship opportunities it offers, visit www.candler.emory.edu.

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Emory Fellow Wins Whiting Writers' Award

Laleh Khadivi, a fellow in Emory University's Creative Writing Program, has received a 2008 Whiting Writers' Award. The $50,000 award, which annually recognizes 10 young writers, was presented to Khadivi yesterday in New York City. (http://www.whitingfoundation.org/whiting_2008.html)

Khadivi was honored for her first book, "The Age of Orphans," a historical novel set in Iran during the first Shah's ascent to power. Born in Esfahan, Iran, Khadivi is of Kurdish and Persian heritage.

"The Age of Orphans" follows the life of a Kurdish boy whose family is killed by the armies of the Shah as part of a "modernizing effort." The boy is then adopted into those same armies and taught to kill his own people.

This first book is part of a trilogy that follows the lives of three generations of Kurdish men and will be published by Bloomsbury in March. "The award gives me more time to work on the triology," says Khadivi, adding that when her teaching stint at Emory ends, she is considering taking a year off to work on the next book.

Khadivi, who has lived in a variety of countries, is a graduate of Atlanta International School and now calls the United States home. Previously, she was a documentary filmmaker and directed "900 Women," a film about incarcerated women in Louisiana. She has produced a number of other films that focus on the criminal justice system.

She holds an undergraduate degree from Reed College and an MFA degree from Mills College. Khadivi is currently the Fellow in Fiction at Emory, a two-year appointment for those holding a graduate degree in creative writing and who have a manuscript underway.

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Arts Across Georgia

Georgia Schoolchildren Strike Gold with King Tut Exhibition Field Trip Assistance Initiative

PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to offset rising fuel prices that are a deterrent to school field trips, Georgia's State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox, along with organizers of "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs," announced that $200,000 in fuel will be made available to Georgia schools to assist with classroom visits to the exhibition, and up to 10,000 students will receive free entrance. The initiative is being made possible through the support of RaceTrac Petroleum, the third largest private company in Georgia. RaceTrac operates more than 525 retail gasoline convenience stores in 12 southeastern states.

The U.S. premiere of the exhibition at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center will be presented by the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University from November 15, 2008 to May 25, 2009. To further supplement classroom visits, a robust portfolio of educational content and lesson planning materials developed by the Carlos Museum is available for free at http://www.kingtut.org/ or http://www.carlos.emory.edu/teacher-programs.

According to a survey by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), released July 29, almost half of school districts nationwide are cutting back on field trips due to rising transportation costs.

"This is a perfect example of how the business community can support the education of children," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "The King Tut exhibit will allow students to see history and science firsthand, and this field trip would not be possible for most school districts without the generous support of RaceTrac and the exhibition organizers. This will truly be one of those remarkable field trips that students will remember for the rest of their lives, and I urge our educators across GA to take advantage of this opportunity that has the potential to benefit thousands of kids across the state."

All Georgia schools are eligible to participate in the fuel program on a first-come, first-served basis, which will benefit up to 80,000 students. Educators interested in participating in the program and receiving the fuel subsidy may do so by calling 866-52GROUP or visiting http://www.goldengasoffer.com/.

Participation in this program could possibly alleviate moratoriums on school bus availability in some local communities for field trips to this exhibition. Schools receiving free admittance will be designated by the Georgia Department of Education.

"We take our commitment to the community and local youth very seriously," said Allison Moran, senior vice president of operations for RaceTrac. "As one of Georgia's leading gasoline retailers, and with the current economic climate threatening school field trips, this assistance program is the perfect opportunity for us to give back to the community by providing local children with access to an invaluable educational experience."

"Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" is the second National Geographic exhibition dedicated to the remarkable treasures of King Tutankhamun and ancient Egyptian royalty. The first exhibition, "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," has drawn 5 million visitors during its U.S. and London engagements, and has been visited by 250,000 schoolchildren since opening in June 2005.

"We are indeed grateful to businesses like RaceTrac that are rallying much-needed resources to make Tutankhamun accessible to schoolchildren in Georgia," said Bonnie Speed, director of the Michael C. Carlos Museum. "It takes an engaged community to understand the cultural and social significance of this exhibition -- its power to kindle the imagination, build bridges across cultures and provide an unparalleled educational experience. We hope that school systems across Georgia will take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI) and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt. Northern Trust is the presenting sponsor, and American Airlines is the official airline of the exhibition.

"Seeing artifacts from King Tut and other Valley of the Kings tombs is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said John Norman, president of Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), one of the exhibition organizers. "We are committed to making every effort to ensure that this exhibition is accessible to students throughout the state, and RaceTrac's sponsorship helps make this possible."

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Premiering November 15, 2008 to May 25, 2009, at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" will feature striking objects from some of the most important rulers throughout 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, from the 4th Dynasty into the Late Period (about 2600 B.C. -- 660 B.C.). Derived from a variety of contexts, including temples and royal and private tombs, many of these artifacts have never before visited the United States.

The exhibition will highlight more than 50 treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb and more than 70 artifacts representing other pharaohs and notables, along with the latest scientific research about King Tut. The storyline will focus on the splendor of the Egyptian pharaohs, their function in the earthly and divine worlds, and what kingship meant to the Egyptian people.

Four galleries devoted to King Tut will correspond to the four rooms of his nearly intact tomb where the treasures were discovered by British explorer Howard Carter in 1922. Legendary artifacts from the antechamber, the annex, the treasury and the burial chamber will include Tutankhamun's golden sandals, jewelry, furniture, weaponry and statuary.

For more information about the exhibition, visit http://www.kingtut.org/.

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