University News

Caltech Names New President: Georgia Tech Provost Jean-Lou Chameau

Jean-Lou Chameau, the provost and vice president for academic affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been named the new president of the California Institute of Technology. He will take office on or before September 1. He succeeds David Baltimore, who is stepping down from the presidency after nearly nine years in the post. Baltimore will remain at the Institute, where he intends to focus on his scientific work and teaching.

Chameau, 53, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Hightower Professor at Georgia Tech, was formerly dean of the Georgia Tech College of Engineering, the largest in the country. He led educational and research programs in nine engineering disciplines — all of which have received national recognition and collectively confer the nation's largest number of engineering degrees on undergraduate and graduate students. As provost, he had programmatic, strategic, and financial responsibilities for the academic and research programs of the university, including the Georgia Tech Research Institute. In addition, his office oversaw the continuing and executive education, economic development, and commercialization programs of Georgia Tech.

Chameau was selected by the Caltech Board of Trustees after a nationwide search conducted by the faculty search committee.

Throughout his career at Georgia Tech, Chameau worked to make the university a worldwide model for interdisciplinary education and research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and for the promotion of these activities as a catalyst for economic development. He is known for his commitment to the development of multidisciplinary talent in faculty and students. He helped create an environment that promotes innovative learning and collaboration among individuals who share a passion for similar problems. In recent years, he fostered the creation of major complexes for bio-environmental-materials and nanotechnology. These facilities reflect his vision for "research neighborhoods" in which the organizational barriers to multidisciplinary endeavors were broken down by physically locating together faculties from several disciplines.

Chameau places a strong emphasis on improving the educational experience of students, increasing diversity, and fostering research, entrepreneurial, and international opportunities for faculty and students. He was a champion for programs that contributed to Georgia Tech's leadership role in the education of minority students in engineering, and in the recruitment, retention and promotion of women on the faculty. He was instrumental in positioning Georgia Tech as an internationally recognized university through the creation of innovative educational and research programs and partnerships around the world, including campuses and platforms in Asia and Europe.

Chameau played a key role in Georgia Tech's initiative to educate students to understand their role in creating a more prosperous and sustainable society. He led the efforts that resulted in the creation of the Center for Sustainable Technology, which later became the Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development, promoting educational and research activities that address the global, complex nature of environmental issues and emphasize the linkages between science, technology, society, and the environment.

As part of his responsibilities at Georgia Tech, Chameau engaged in numerous development activities, leading efforts to secure major donations for the university's endowment. He was also active in state and federal relations and professional organizations such as the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable.

Chameau received his secondary and undergraduate education in France and his graduate education in civil engineering from Stanford University. In 1980 he joined the civil engineering faculty at Purdue University, where he subsequently became full professor and head of the geotechnical engineering program. In 1991, he became the director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. In 1994-95, he was the president of Golder Associates, Inc., an international geotechnical consulting company. He currently serves on the boards of directors for MTS Systems Corporation, Prime Engineering, and l'Ecole Polytechnique, and is a trustee and treasurer of the Georgia Tech Research Corporation. He is also serving as president of Georgia Tech Lorraine, the European platform of Georgia Tech.

Chameau's technical interests include sustainable technology; environmental geotechnology; soil dynamics; earthquake engineering; and liquefaction of soils. He was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, the ASCE A. Casagrande Award, and the Rodney Chipp Memorial Award from the Society of Women Engineers.

Chameau is the eighth person to lead "modern-day" Caltech, his predecessors being James A. B. Scherer, Robert A. Millikan, Lee A. DuBridge, Harold Brown, Marvin L. Goldberger, Thomas E. Everhart, and Baltimore.

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Regents Approve Patents and Commercialization of Research as New Consideration for Faculty Tenure

At the recommendation of Chancellor Robert D. McTeer, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted unanimously to allow commercialization of faculty research to be considered in the granting of tenure to faculty at A&M System universities. The Regents voted to add "patents and the commercialization of research, where applicable" as a sixth criterion to the existing list of five tenure policy criteria that A&M System universities take into account in considering and recommending faculty tenure.

McTeer said the changes will permit the consideration of commercialization as a recognized output of faculty scholarship in the tenure process. The changes also reduce the possibility that faculty-researchers will wait to pursue commercialization until after they have received tenure. However, McTeer noted the tenure policy changes won't affect the administration of the tenure process nor will they create requirements for patents or commercialization, even in the areas in which opportunities for technology commercialization primarily exist—science, medicine, the life sciences, engineering, business and agriculture.

Updating tenure policies related to technology commercialization is the latest in a series of steps taken recently by the System to place a higher priority on industry-university partnerships and to support and encourage faculty members whose research endeavors result in new discoveries, including patentable inventions and technology suitable for commercialization.

The Regents also voted to revise System policy to more clearly outline the role and responsibility of the A&M System Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC), which the Board established at its December 2005 meeting. The changes simplify and restructure System policy relating to ownership, management and commercialization of intellectual property.

As a System-level office, the OTC gives faculty-researchers, potential partners and investors a single point of contact for the System's nine universities, seven agencies and health science center and the industry partners who make the products commercially viable. This function is managed by Guy K. Diedrich, whom the Regents named in December to the newly created position of vice chancellor for technology commercialization.

Technology commercialization is increasingly interdisciplinary and collaborative. In July 2005, the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine (TIGM) was founded by two A&M System members—the Texas A&M Health Science Center and Texas A&M University—with Lexicon Genetics in The Woodlands as the industry partner. The Institute received $50 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund to help pioneer the development of life-changing medical innovation, accelerate the pace of medical discoveries and foster the development of the biotechnology industry in Texas.

Another illustration of the A&M System's growing profile in the development of technology commercialization in the life sciences came in October 2005, when the System was chosen by the leadership of the Emerging Technology Fund to host the Texas Life Science Center for Innovation and Commercialization (TLSCIC). The statewide biotechnology center was created by the Texas Legislature to oversee the process for evaluating innovative biological and agricultural technologies and dispersing investments from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund.

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Arrillaga Gives $100 Million to Stanford in Largest Single Gift Ever From Individual

Real estate developer John Arrillaga, '60, has given US$100 million to Stanford. It is the largest single gift ever from an individual to the university.

The administration has not yet decided how the money will be used, said Alan Acosta, director of university communications.

A longtime Stanford supporter, Arrillaga has funded and overseen the construction of several campus buildings: the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, the Arrillaga Family Sports Center and the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, which is named in memory of his late wife.

Arrillaga also has contributed substantial support to a variety of other buildings on campus, including the Graduate Community Center and the recently renovated Red Barn complex. He is overseeing the renovation of Stanford Stadium, which is scheduled to open in September, and was instrumental in the 2004 renovation of Maples Pavilion.

Arrillaga played basketball for the university and is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.

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UGA Receives $4 Million From The Goizueta Foundation to Continue Educational Programs for Hispanic Students

The University of Georgia has received a US$4 million grant from The Goizueta Foundation of Atlanta to continue providing programs that enhance educational opportunities for Hispanic students in Georgia.

This is the second time in four years The Goizueta Foundation has given UGA a major grant for educational programming that primarily benefits Latino children and young people in Georgia. In 2002, UGA received $3.5 million from The Goizueta Foundation to launch a major initiative to improve education for Hispanic students in the state.

The new grant, awarded through UGA's Arch Foundation, will expand several programs started by the 2002 grant. They include scholarship programs for undergraduate and graduate students, and the work of a center that helps schools, teachers and parents improve the academic success of Hispanic children in grades K-12.

The new grant will also start a new program called the Latino Pipeline Initiative that will try to impress on Hispanic students in middle and high schools the importance of graduating from high school and enrolling in college, and help prepare them to do so.

Both of The Goizueta Foundation's grants support UGA's Latino Initiative, an effort started in 2001 to use the university's expertise and resources to provide instruction, training and other assistance for Georgia's booming Hispanic population. Estimates are that more than 600,000 Hispanics live in Georgia--nearly seven percent of the state's population. Georgia's Hispanic growth is among the fastest in the nation.

UGA will use the new grant from The Goizueta Foundation for three primary purposes:

• To increase financial assistance provided through The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund, which gives need-based scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. UGA is making concerted efforts to recruit Hispanic students in Georgia and enrollment has climbed at both the undergraduate and graduate levels since the scholarship program started.
• To expand the work of the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE). The center, housed in UGA's College of Education, provides professional development training and resources to help teachers, administrators, staff members and parents better educate Latino K-12 students in Georgia.
• To start the Latino Pipeline Initiative, an effort to reach Latino students as early as seventh grade with the message that college is vital to their future. The initiative, which will be operated through UGA's public service and outreach program, includes two programs that bring Latino students to UGA for educational and leadership activities.

The Latino Youth Leadership Program will bring high school students to campus for sessions that span several days. A new program called "UGA days" will bring middle school students to the university for a one-day visit. Both programs also involve students' parents. The programs are targeted at eight counties with schools that have high numbers of Latino students.

CLASE was created under the first grant from The Goizueta Foundation and has worked with 36 teams of teachers and administrators in Georgia schools and more than 700 teachers in its first three years.

"Our Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education has already had a significant impact on schools with large numbers of Latino students, and this new funding will enable us to continue to affect the lives of Georgia's Latino children," said Louis Castenell, dean of the College of Education.

Many of the graduate students who receive scholarships through The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund work in CLASE, helping staff provide training and assistance to schools and offering guidance to teachers, counselors, administrators and staff on best practices for teaching Latino students.

Roberto C. Goizueta established The Goizueta Foundation in 1992 to provide financial assistance to educational and charitable institutions. Goizueta was chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Co. until his death in 1997. The foundation's primary focus is to assist organizations that empower individuals and families through educational opportunities to improve the quality of their lives.

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Princeton Awarded $2.2 million for Biology Education

Princeton has been awarded $2.2 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to support the University's efforts to improve education in the biological sciences.

The Undergraduate Science Education Initiative grants are awarded competitively every four years. Princeton has been funded continually since the grants began in 1989, and is one of only five institutions to receive the maximum possible award this year.

Fred Hughson, incoming director of the Princeton/HHMI Undergraduate Research Education Program, said that the award will help the University further expand its efforts to improve biology education in secondary schools and create new opportunities for undergraduates.

The summer workshops have engaged 450 teachers and more than 300,000 students in most New Jersey school districts since funding began in 1990. The new funding will provide the opportunity for Princeton to partner with the school district of Philadelphia in order to train teachers and provide equipment and materials for the creation of satellite learning centers in Philadelphia high schools.

Some of the remaining funds will be used for a summer research program for Princeton students and others selected from a nationwide pool of undergraduates attending small colleges with limited resources for research. The rest will be devoted to developing a new upper-level undergraduate course in biological imaging.  This course, cited by HHMI as a "particularly creative and innovative aspect of the proposal," will center on the construction — from scratch — of research-grade microscopes and their use in student-designed experiments.

 

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Two New Graduate Programs Available at Columbia This Fall

In fall 2006, the Columbia University School of Continuing Education will launch two new graduate degree programs: a master of science in construction administration and a master of science in sports management. Like the school's six current graduate programs, these applied master's programs train students in the practical, real-world demands of solving today's business challenges in specific industries. The part-time programs are designed to accommodate the schedules of working professionals and are the first such graduate-level programs mounted by an Ivy League university.

The mission of Columbia's School of Continuing Education is to mount innovative programs that meet Columbia's standard of excellence and take the best advantage of University resources," said Dean Frank Wolf. "In the case of these two programs, the sports management program was developed with our NCAA Division I Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education, and the construction administration program was developed in concert with the University's civil engineering department, along with outside experts."

The curriculum of the construction program focuses exclusively on the commercial and residential buildings sectors of the industry. It encompasses the increasingly complex process of construction administration, from design through build, essential for those charged with bringing projects to completion safely and within budget. Courses include in-depth coverage of cost estimating and project financing, construction techniques, human and material resources, construction law, conflict resolution and environmental safety and conservation. A number of the courses in the program will be offered by the Department of Civil Engineering in the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). The M.S. in construction administration is appropriate for individuals who have completed their undergraduate degrees and have some experience in the construction industry or related fields.

The M.S. in sports management is a rigorous, industry-specific program designed to train students for management positions in all sectors of the sports industry. The curriculum is intended to broadly educate sports managers about the industry while providing industry-specific training in finance, personnel management, law, marketing and facility/event superintendence. This combination of broad-based and industry-specific skill training is a hallmark of the program and is evident in the content of individual courses and the sequence in which degree candidates take the courses. The program meets the needs of a range of individuals: those working in the industry who would like to advance their careers; students with undergraduate degrees in sports or recreation management who are looking to complete a graduate degree in the field; retired athletes or those seeking to turn their passion for sports into a new career; and those with advanced degrees in business, law or journalism seeking to expand their credentials in the sports world.

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Unique Underground Ecosystem Revealed by Hebrew University Researchers Uncovers Eight Previously Unknown Species

Discovery of eight previously unknown, ancient animal species within "a new and unique underground ecosystem" in Israel was revealed by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers.

In a press conference on the Mt. Scopus campus of the Hebrew University, the researchers said the discovery came about when a small opening was found , leading to a cave extending to a depth of 100 meters beneath the surface of a quarry in the vicinity of Ramle, between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The quarry is operated by cement manufacturer Nesher Industries.

The cave, which has been dubbed the Ayalon Cave, is "unique in the world," said Prof. Amos Frumkin of the Hebrew University Department of Geography. This is due mainly to its isolation from the outside world, since the cave's surface is situated under a layer of chalk that is impenetrable to water. The cave, with its branches, extends over some 2½ kilometers, making it Israel's second largest limestone cave. It is to remain closed to the public to permit further scientific research.

The invertebrate animals found in the cave – four seawater and freshwater crustaceans and four terrestial species – are related to but different from other, similar life forms known to scientists. The species have been sent to biological experts in both Israel and abroad for further analysis and dating. It is estimated that these species are millions of years old. Also found in the cave were bacteria that serve as the basic food source in the ecosystem.

"The eight species found thus far are only the beginning" of what promises to be "a fantastic biodiversity," said Dr. Hanan Dimentman of the Hebrew University Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, another of the researchers involved in the project. He said that he expects further exploration to reveal several other unique life forms.

The animals found there were all discovered live, except for a blind species of scorpion, although Dr. Dimentman is certain that live scorpions will be discovered in further explorations and also probably an animal or animals which feed on the scorpions.

The underground cave includes an underground lake, in which the crustaceans were found. The lake is part of the Yarkon-Taninim aquifer, one of Israel's two aquifers, yet is different in temperature and chemical composition from the main waters of the aquifer. The lake's temperature and salinity indicates that its source is deep underground.

Among the interesting features of the discoveries thus far in the cave is that two of the crustaceans are seawater species and two others are of a types found in fresh or brackish water. This can provide insights into events occurring millions of years ago regarding the history of ancient bodies of water in the region.

In addition to Prof. Frumkin, who heads the unit for cave research in the Department of Geography, and Dr. Dimentman, others involved in the project are Prof. Dov Por and Prof. Aharon Oren of the Institute of Life Sciences, graduate student Israel Naaman, and several others. The Israel Water Commission has assisted in the research, as has Nesher Industries.

Yoel Feldschue, director-general of Nesher Industries, said that Nesher will preserve the ecological ecosystem which has been revealed in the center of its quarry in order to avoid any damage to the important findings there. He added in that regard that he is hopeful that the planning authorities will enable the company to operate in alternate areas in order to help preserve the scientific site.

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UTD Scientist Co-authors Nature Paper Describing Undersea Volcanic Eruptions

University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Geosciences Professor Dr. Robert J. Stern is co-author of an article in the May 25 issue of the prestigious journal Nature that describes the first direct observations and sampling of an eruption of a submarine arc volcano.

Stern was one of a number of scientists who took part in one of several National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-led expeditions to explore the erupting volcano, located on the seafloor in the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific Ocean.  Additional information about the expeditions' findings may be found on the NOAA website.