In the News

The Chronicle’s biweekly column In the News offers a digest of commentary and quotations by a few of the University faculty members, students and alumni who have been headlining the news in recent weeks.

Bruce Cumings, the Norman & Edna Freehling Professor in History and an expert on Korean history, was interviewed for a National Public Radio All Things Considered segment that was broadcast Sunday, June 11. Cumings was interviewed for a story on the historic Tuesday, June 13 summit between South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. It was the first time leaders of the two countries had met in a half century.

Casey Mulligan, Associate Professor in Economics, and Tomas Philipson, Professor in the Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, cowrote an op-ed that was published by the Chicago Tribune Thursday, June 15. Quoting American Medical Association Executive Vice President E. Ratcliffe Anderson Jr., Mulligan and Philipson wrote about the AMA’s opposition to Health Management Organizations, which claims HMOs threaten high-quality health care. Mulligan and Philipson ask, “If protecting patients is their true concern, why not offer to lower their [physician’s] fees in order to free up part of insurance premium dollars to pay for the better care?”

The University’s Master Plan was featured in a Tuesday, June 13 story in the Chicago Tribune. The story, which also featured artist renderings of the planned Midway Plaisance skating rink and warming pavilion, new residence halls and the University Laboratory Schools’ new gymnasium, described many of the campus construction projects already underway and those for which ground will be broken within the next few years.

An in-depth story about the Scholars at Risk Network, which has been organized under the leadership of the University and its Human Rights Program, appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education Friday, June 23. The network, which will provide academic positions at American universities and research centers for professors, writers and “public intellectuals” who are threatened in their home countries, was the subject for discussion at a recent Scholars at Risk conference held on campus last month.

Richard Epstein, the James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor in the Law School, was cited as one of the National Law Journalâs 100 most influential attorneys in the United States. The most current list of the journal’s triennial honor roll of powerful practitioners appeared in its Monday, June 12 issue.

Elaine Fuchs, the Amgen Professor in Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, was quoted in a story published Monday, June 12, by U.S. News & World Report. The story reported on recent scientific experiments in cell biology that could lead to using a personâs own cells to regenerate or replace damaged areas of his or her body.

Rashid Kahlidi, Professor in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Director of the Center for International Studies, was interviewed for stories that reported on Syriaâs new president Bashar Assad, following the death of his father Hafez Assad. The stories appeared in USA Today and at the Associated Pressâs online news service.

In the June 1 issue of Library Journal, Martin Runkle, Director of the University Library, was interviewed for a major feature article about the University libraries, which placed special emphasis on the Joseph Regenstein Library and its recent completion of phase 1 of a reconfiguration project. Runkle discussed the revamping of the Regenstein as it continues to be a leading research library and the practical considerations he is aware of concerning printed materials in the face of an increasingly digitized world. “It will be a few years before we have developed and demonstrated the trustworthiness of shared digital repositories for the journal literature. Until we do, we cannot give up the print.” The story also quoted Geoffrey Stone, University Provost.

John MacAloon, Associate Dean of the Social Sciences Collegiate Division and Director of the Master of Arts Program in Social Sciences, was interviewed on National Public Radio’s program All Things Considered on Thursday, June 15. MacAloon, who also is a consultant to the International Olympic Committee, spoke with NPR about supporters of different athletics that vie for spots in the Olympic Games, such as those recently added to the Olympic program, the triathlon and tae kwon do. MacAloon discussed the requirements of sports for inclusion in the Games, which take into consideration gender participation and popularity of practice.

Barbara Schneider, Professor in Sociology and a Senior Social Scientist at the National Opinion Research Center at the University, was interviewed for a story published in the Sunday, June 18 New York Times. The story examined a trend in seasonal work that shows a decrease in the number of teen-aged youths who seek jobs, such as lifeguarding. The story sources suggest that instead of working at summer jobs, youths are building on future careers by enrolling in summer classes or enrichment programs.

Alumnus Alex Seropian was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Sun-Times about the sale of Bungie Software Products Corp. to Microsoft Corp. Seropian co-founded Bungie in 1991 with fellow University alumnus Jason Jones. Microsoft’s purchase of Bungie was made to create cutting-edge games for its forthcoming X-Box video-game console. The two stories were published Monday, June 19.

Allen Sanderson, Senior Lecturer in Economics, wrote an op-ed that appeared in the Thursday, June 22 Chicago Tribune. Sanderson wrote that baseball players’ salaries do not drive ticket costs, and that the cost of attending a Major League Baseball game is not over-priced, as many sports reporters and columnists would have Americans think.

Sam Hamburg, a Lecturer in Psychiatry, was interviewed Sunday, June 18, for a Weekend Edition/Sunday segment on National Public Radio. Hamburg discussed partner compatibility in marriages, which is the subject of his new book Will Our Love Last?