Primer on science, ethics, politics of stem cell research is planned

Some of the country's leading experts in the science, ethics and politics of stem cell research will convene next week in Washington, D.C., for a one-day primer hosted by Johns Hopkins. The event, "Stem Cell Research 101," will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Hilton Washington.

The conference is open to the public and will be geared to laypersons. Invited guests include policy-makers, journalists and citizens interested in stem cell research.

The eminent panel, which will discuss the issues from their perspectives, includes JHU researchers John Gearhart and Chi Dang; JHU bioethicists Hilary Bok, Kathy Hudson and Ruth Faden; and Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), co-sponsor of the Castle-Degette Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which is intended to accelerate progress toward medical breakthroughs by opening more stem cell lines to federally funded research.

Julie Rovner, health policy correspondent for National Public Radio, will serve as the panel moderator.

The cost, including lunch, is $125 per person. To register, call 800-548-5481.

 

Survey ranks SAIS top master's program in international relations

SAIS is the top master's degree program in international relations for students looking to pursue a policy career, according to a recent survey of scholars in the field.

The November/December issue of Foreign Policy magazine features the results of the survey, conducted by scholars at the College of William and Mary. Nearly 1,100 international relations professors and researchers at universities throughout the United States participated in the study. SAIS also made the survey's Top 20 Ph.D. Programs list, coming in 13th.

As part of the survey, his peers named Francis Fukuyama, the Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy and director of SAIS' International Development Program, one of the 25 most influential scholars in the field.

Rounding out the top five IR master's programs for policy careers were Georgetown, Harvard, Tufts and Columbia.

To read "Inside the Ivory Tower," the Foreign Policy article that features the survey results, go to www.ForeignPolicy.com.

 

Surgeon Ben Carson will give SPSBE's fall Ginder Lecture

Ben Carson, professor of neurosurgery, will be the speaker for the School of Professional Studies in Business and Education's fall Ginder Lecture. The event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 10, at the university's Downtown Center, with a reception and book signing at 5 p.m. and the lecture at 6 p.m.

Recognized worldwide for his groundbreaking work with Siamese twins, Carson's specialties include craniofacial reconstructive surgery, neuro-oncology, skeletal dysplasia and seizure surgery. He is the founder of Carson Scholars, which rewards academic and humanitarian accomplishments, and Angels in the OR, which provides financial assistance for neurosurgery patients.

Carson holds more than 40 honorary degrees and sits on numerous boards of directors. He was recently selected by both CNN and Time magazine as one of the nation's 20 foremost physicians and scientists, and was named by the Library of Congress as one of its Living Legends.

SPSBE's Ginder Lecture Series, endowed by William M. and Katherine B. Ginder, brings prominent speakers to Johns Hopkins to discuss business-related topics.

To reserve a place, call 410-516-2838 or e-mail ginderlecture@jhu.edu.

 

Veterans Day Ceremony to be held Nov. 11 in East Baltimore

To pay tribute to Johns Hopkins employees who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, Pastoral Care will hold a Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11, on the East Baltimore campus. The event, which begins at 2 p.m. under the dome, will include the posting of colors, the pledge of allegiance, music by Unified Voices and a JHU ROTC honor guard.

 

Chili Cook-Off/Dessert Bake-Off fund-raiser set for Nov. 29

It's time for cooks to pull out their crowd-pleasing recipes and for chili- and sweets-lovers to mark their calendars for Tuesday, Nov. 29, when the Third Annual Chili Cook-Off/Bake-Off, a benefit for the 2005 United Way campaign, takes over Homewood's Glass Pavilion from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The contest entry fee is $10 for each item--chili, cake or cookies — and $5 buys a tasty lunch of chili, cornbread, dessert and a beverage. Judges will announce the winners of first, second and third place starting at noon.

To register, call Jacklyn Coe at 410-516-6060 or go to www.jhu.edu/unitedway/events/chili.htm.

For more information on the United Way campaign and other events, contact Sandy Cobb at 410-516-6060 or go to www.jhu.edu/unitedway.

 

University seeking participants for Adopt-a-Family program

As the holiday season approaches, the JHU Adopt-a-Family program, which is organized by the Office of Faculty, Staff and Retiree Programs, is now enlisting faculty, staff, students and departments interested in providing a family in need with gifts, clothing and food that they otherwise could not afford.

Families are identified by local human services agencies, or participants can contribute to an agency of their choosing.

PBS special on public health to be screened at SPH Rx for Survival — A Global Health Challenge is a three-part, six-hour special that aired on PBS last week and will be screened at the School of Public Health in one-hour segments beginning at noon today, Nov. 7, in Feinstone Hall.

The Bloomberg School was a partner in the production of the series, along with PBS, WGBH, Time magazine, NPR, UNICEF, CARE and others. Faculty members are featured in some of the episodes, and the work of former Dean Al Sommer is one of the primary stories in the fifth hour, called "Back to the Basics." Sommer discovered in the late 1970s that small, inexpensive doses of vitamin A could save countless children's lives in the developing world.

The Bloomberg School is developing an undergraduate companion course in global health, which it will offer free to colleges and universities beginning next fall.

 

The 'Gazette' will not be published week of Thanksgiving

The Gazette will not be published on Nov. 21 because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Events taking place that week will be included in the Nov. 14 calendar. The deadline for submissions is today, Nov. 7.

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