February People Notes

Julian Agyeman, assistant professor of urban and environmental policy and planning, will be the conference chair for the North American Association for Environmental Education's annual conference at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel August 6-11. He has been invited by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives to go to Vancouver, British Columbia, February 28 through March 3 to facilitate discussions about sustainability among local government leaders from the United States and Canada in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, September 2-11. top

Mahshid Ahrari, a doctoral student in the Program on Food Policy and Applied Nutrition at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, has been named the first recipient of the American Dietetic Association Foundation's International Nutritionist/Dietitian Fellowship for Study in the U.S.A. She received her M.S. in nutrition sciences from Shahid Beheshti University and her B.S. in nutrition sciences from Al-Zahara University. top

Juan Alonso, professor of Spanish, recently published a new collection of short fiction titled The Chipped Wall and Two Other Stories, an Authors Guild BACKINPRINT.com edition. He also published two essays in the Canadian review Queen's QuarterlyÑ"Speed and the New World Religion" in the fall issue and "Memory and Its Absences" in the winter issue. Alonso has published essays in the last six issues of Queen's Quarterly, with two more scheduled for publication in the future. top

Diana Bailey, associate professor at the Boston School of Occupational Therapy, was scholar-in-residence for spring 2001 at the University of Southern California's Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. As part of her work there, she conducted research titled "Creating a Home: Lesbian Couples Engaged in Homemaking." She will be presenting portions of the study at the annual conference of the American Association for Occupational Therapy in May and at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, in June. top

Leena Bitar, D04, has received $2,800 from the University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS) at Tufts to promote oral health and literacy among children at the Wang YMCA of Chinatown. Last spring, UCCPS granted Justin Mull, D02, $2,400 to raise oral health awareness among low-income second-graders. top

Bruce Boghosian, assistant professor of mathematics, delivered the joint Harvard-MIT-BU theoretical chemistry symposium at MIT on January 9. The title of his talk was "Turbulence and Nonextensive Thermodynamics." top

Dr. Stephen Bookless has been appointed an instructor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the dental school. top

Sarah Booth has been named director of the Human Nutrition Program at the Friedman School. She will administer the program with the help of a steering committee whose other members are Carmen Castaneda-Sceppa and Lynne Ausman. top

Andrew Camilli, assistant professor of microbiology, is the 2002 winner of the nation's most prestigious award for a young microbiologist. He will use some of the $5,000 award to take his entire laboratory to Salt Lake City in late May to formally accept the Eli Lilly and Co. Award at the American Society of Microbiology's annual assembly. Ralph Isberg, a Howard Hughes investigator also in the microbiology program at Tufts, won the Lilly Award in 1993. Camilli, in his seventh year at Tufts, studies pathogens and how they cause disease at the genetic level. Working with Vibrio cholerae, he has developed new methods to determine which genes of the bacteria are turned on as it makes its way through the digestive track. The research provides information that eventually may lead to more effective cholera vaccines or treatments. top

Nancy Carroll, coordinator of licensure and placement in the education department, is serving on the executive board for the New England Association for Employment in Education (NEAEE), a regional collaborative made up of placement officers from area universities and hiring personnel in public schools. NEAEE offers networking opportunities for pre-service teachers and school psychologists through a series of programs titled "Gearing Up for the Educator's Job Search." The program will take place February 25 at Newton North High School, March 7 at Providence College and March 26 at Springfield College. For more information, visit the web site www.spfldcol.edu/neaee top

Eric Chaisson, director of the Wright Center for Science Education, gave invited colloquia recently at Boston College and Harvard University. In February, he will deliver the Moore Lectures at the University of California and the keynote address at the Australian-American Fulbright conference on science education in Sydney. top

Bonnie Chakravorty, presented findings of her longitudinal study of college athletes' perceptions of the effects of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) policy on smokeless tobacco use at the 2001 National Conference on Tobacco or Health in New Orleans November 27-29. She also was elected secretary of AlphaNet, a nonprofit disease management corporation focusing on the health care and other needs of persons with familial emphysema. At the 3rd International Scientific Conference on Alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency: The Challenge of A Genetic Condition in Warrenton, Va., last summer, Chakravorty participated on a panel of patient advocates discussing ways in which patient advocates and researchers can work together most productively. top

Dr. Jake Chen has been appointed a professor of general dentistry in the Division of Oral Biology at the School of Dental Medicine. top

Nalinee Chongviriyaphan, a graduate student in nutrition, and Dr. Robert M. Russell, director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), presented their work on carotenoids and the lung at the 13th International Carotenoid Symposium January 6-11 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Their paper was titled "b-Carotene in the Presence of a-Tocopherol and Vitamin C Protects Against Lung Squamous Metaplasia in Male Ferrets Exposed to Tobacco Smoke." Their work was supported by the American Cancer Society. top

Edmund Dente, director of the Language Media Center, presented a paper, "Instructional Technology in the Foreign Language Classroom: Modes of Delivery," and was a panelist in a session on "Web Communities for Language Learning" in December at the Republic of China Multimedia in Language Instruction Conference at Taiwan National University in Taipei. top

Dominique "Dom the Bomb" Fontenette, M05, helped the Boston women's team, Lady Godiva, earn a first place in the national ultimate Frisbee championships in November in Sarasota, Fla. Fontenette led her Stanford team to win the 1997 UPA college championship and the Fury's club championship in 1999. top

John-Paul Ghobrial, a senior majoring in international relations and French, is one of 40 American students chosen to study in England as a Marshall Scholar. The Marshall Scholarships are funded by the British government and are intended to establish ties between Britain and the United States, while enabling American students to gain an understanding and appreciation of British values and way of life. Ghobrial, who will begin a two-year master's program in Middle Eastern studies at the University of Oxford this fall, is interested in the connection between culture, politics and the economy of the Middle East. After completing the Marshall Scholarship, he plans to work toward a doctoral degree in Middle Eastern Studies as well as a law degree. Ghobrial plans to pursue a career working with the United Nations on human rights in developing countries. "I believe that the entire world is entitled to the opportunity, peace and prosperity found in the Western world," he said. The Marshall Scholarships were established in 1953 as a British gesture of thanks to the people of the United States for the assistance received after the World War II under the Marshall Plan. Each scholarship is worth about $50,000. top

Robyn Gittleman, director of the Experimental College and associate dean of the colleges, and Howard Woolf, associate director of the Experimental College, contributed a chapter to Student-Assisted Teaching, a book recently published by Anker Publishing Co. top

Dr. Sheldon Greenfield, professor of family medicine and community health, is chairing an Institute of Medicine Committee that will produce a report on national health care disparities for the U.S. Congress. He is also co-chairing a Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) panel that is assessing quality-of-care at the physician level. top

Andrew C. Hess, professor of diplomacy and director of the Program for Southwest Asia and Islamic Civilization at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, was presented a citation in December by the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts for his help in advising the AG's office after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Hess chaired a panel on "The Ottoman Empire During the 16th and 17th Century" at the 116th annual meeting of the American Historical Association January 3-6 in San Francisco. top

Gordon J. Hewitt, assistant director of institutional research; Heather S. Roscoe, and Jennifer Dyer, both research analysts in the department, and Dawn G. Terkla, director of institutional research, presented two papers at the annual conference of the Northeast Association of Institutional Research November 17-20: "Organizational and Technical Issues in Implementing Web-Based Surveys: A Case Study" and "Administering Surveys on the Web: Methodological Issues." top

David Kahle has been appointed director of academic technology (DAT) in Tufts Computing and Communications Services Division (TCCS). He has been a key member of the Academic Technology (AT) Directorate in TCCS since 1999. Most recently, Kahle served as acting DAT, effectively promoting the integration of information technology in teaching, learning and research throughout the university. In addition to his role within AT, Kahle is a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, specializing in the design and development of online environments for teaching and learning. Prior to coming to Tufts, he taught at Marlboro College and was project manager at the MIT Center for Advanced Educational Services and head of the Instructional Technology Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He has a master's degree in educational technology from Harvard University. top

Susie Kalinian, D02, earned first place for the second year in a row at the New York Dental Meeting student table demonstrations in December. Her research was on "Sjšgren's Syndrome: Nonmotile Gram-Positive Bacteria, Diet and Xerostomia, a Prescription for the Carious Lesion." Also at the meeting, Candice Zemnick and Joseph Krajekian, both D02, placed third with "Advancing Information Technology Resources for the Pre-doctoral Curriculum." top

Norman I. Krinsky, professor of biochemistry emeritus and a scientist at the HNRCA, has been named a national associate of the National Academies of Sciences to recognize his extraordinary dedication to the work of the National Academies. Krinsky served as chair of the Institute of Medicine's Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds, which published "Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and Carotenoids" in April 2000. He is chair of the Institute of Medicine's committee on "The Examination of the Evolving Science for Dietary Supplements" to be published this year. top

Richard M. Lerner, Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development, has been named chair of the Society for the Study of Human Development (SSHD) for 2001-2003. SSHD is an organization comprising professionals and students interested in the interdisciplinary study of human development across the lifespan. On November 18 and 19, Lerner attended the 10th annual Family Re-Union Conference in Nashville, Tenn., where he delivered a talk on "Historically Unprecedented Challenges to the Healthy Development of the World's Youth." top

Alice Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Research Program at the HNRCA and professor of family medicine and community health, has co-edited with Paul J. Nestel of Australia the yearly nutrition and metabolism issue of Current Opinion in Lipidology, which will be published in February. top

Vincent P. Manno, associate dean of the School of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering, and Benjamin Ting, a mechanical engineering graduate student, co-authored a paper, "Finite Element Modeling of Processes in Optoelectronic Alignment," which Ting presented at International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in New York City in November. top

Dr. Roseanna Means, M81, made such an impression with her address at this year's White Coat Ceremony welcoming first-year medical students into the profession that at least two parents, a physician and a nurse were inspired to volunteer to work with her in meeting the health needs of the homeless, especially homeless women. In addition, several first-year medical students have also inquired into "shadowing" with Means as part of their education. The founder of Women of Means, which uses volunteer doctors to serve five Boston area shelters, Means was honored with a "Halo" award in the January 15 issue of Family Circle magazine. top

Claudia Mejia, lecturer in Spanish, gave a lecture on "Culture + Technology in the Language Class" at the II International Colloquium on Applied Linguistics and Society that took place in Havana, Cuba, December 17-21. top

Gilbert E. Metcalf, professor of economics, spent last year as a Visiting Scholar at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. While at MIT, Metcalf presented a series of special lectures in the Department of Economics at the University of Texas, served as a plenary speaker at the Fourth Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis at Purdue University, completed a number of scholarly publications and edited a book titled The Distribution of Tax Burdens, to be published by Elgar Press. Currently, he is organizing a conference titled "Advances in Empirical Environmental Policy Research" for the National Bureau of Economic Research to be held in May in Newport, R.I. top

Dr. Simin Nikbin Meydani, professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and a senior scientist at the HNRCA, received the 2001 Grace Goldsmith Award from the American College of Nutrition. This award is given to only one person each year in the field of nutrition research. After receiving her award, Meydani gave a presentation on "Nutrition and Immune Function: Clinical Implications and Molecular Mechanisms." top

Jose Ordovas, a biochemist at the HNRCA, talked about "Cholesterol and Diet in the Management of Coronary Heart Disease Risk" during a direct satellite television conference broadcast to 32 sites in Europe on November 29. The conference was aimed primarily at primary care physicians. One office in the 126 Curtis St. building on the Medford/Somerville campus was turned into a two-way satellite transmission site with Ordovas being able to not only speak to an audience throughout Europe but also to receive real-time e-mail questions via his laptop and provide immediate responses. On December 4, Ordovas participated (this time in person) in the International Conference on Nutrition and Aging in Shanghai. The goal of this conference was to bring together leading scientists from Europe, America and China to address the growing problem of chronic disorders in Asia. The modernization of lifestyles in combination with the genetic background of the Asian population are creating new health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. One of the outcomes of this conference was to foster the development of collaborative projects between Chinese scientists and research teams abroad. top

Carrie Sbrolla has joined the Development Division as associate director of development for alumni relations at the School of Medicine. She will be directing all medical alumni relations efforts, including reunion, and working with the Tufts Medical Alumni Association. Sbrolla is a Boston College graduate and joins Tufts from a high-tech marketing firm where she was responsible for managing events marketing strategy. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Harvard College Fund assisting class officers with alumni relations and fund-raising. top

Sharan L. Schwartzberg, professor of occupational therapy, presented a paper on "Interactive Reasoning in the Practice of Occupational Therapy" at Oxford Brookes University, School of Health Care, Oxford, England, on November 20. While in Oxford, she also met with the trustees of the Elizabeth Casson Trust in celebration of their 10 years of support of student and research exchanges between the occupational therapy programs of Dorset House at Oxford Brookes University and the Boston School of Occupational Therapy at Tufts. top

Rabbi Jeffrey A. Summit, director of the Hillel Foundation and associate university chaplain, delivered a paper, "Music and the Construction of Community among the Bayudaya (Jewish People) of Uganda," at the recent annual meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology in Detroit. He returned to Uganda in January to continue his research on the music and liturgical traditions of the Bayudaya community. top

Patrick Webb, director of the Food Policy and Applied Nutrition Program at the Friedman School, and collaborator Katinka Weinberger have edited Women FarmersÑEnhancing Rights, Recognition and Productivity, published by Peter Lang AG, Berne, Switzerland. The book derives from a meeting in Bonn, Germany, of more than 120 scientists, politicians and practitioners from 34 countries who gathered to discuss the extent of gains made by rural women after 25 years of increasingly "gendered" development. The research shows that women do not automatically gain from development interventions even if they were explicitly singled out for attention, and gains for women in one area of their lives can entail losses in another. top