In Brief
Preliminary results gathered from 2009 Climate
Survey
In 2006, the Diversity Leadership Council conducted
the first Climate Survey for faculty and
staff at Johns Hopkins. This spring, the council again
provided all Johns Hopkins employees an
opportunity to complete a survey. As was done previously,
separate surveys were developed for APL,
the Johns Hopkins Health System, the School of Medicine and
a fourth for all other schools and
divisions. The statements/questions for the JHHS, SoM and
JHU surveys were similar but not
identical.
This year, more than 12,000 employees completed the
survey. The response rates for JHHS
and JHU were up, SoM was down, and APL was similar to the
2006 survey.
Results show that, at least for those who have
completed a survey, the work climate has
improved. The satisfaction percentages increased overall
and for many subgroups (ethnic minorities
and women); however, some disparities remain for
African-Americans and for women faculty.
Vice presidents, deans and directors have received
their divisional/school data, along with
participants' written comments, and have been encouraged to
organize focus groups to better
understand the preliminary results from the employee's
perspective. In addition, they will be asked to
select the three to five issues/concerns that warrant
attention and provide action plans to address
these issues/concerns in their 2009 Diversity Plan.
In the fall, the DLC will provide a summary report of
the 2009 Climate Survey noting successes
and problem areas.
Applied Physics Laboratory names top inventions for
2008
A "smart" polymer that automatically releases medicine
into the bloodstream and a super-thin
flexible microchip share the honor as APL's top invention
for 2008.
The winners were selected from the 129 inventions
reported by 193 APL staff members last
calendar year. A panel of 30 representatives from industry,
the high-tech sector and patent law
selected the top inventions based on their benefit to
society, improvement over existing technology
and commercial potential. APL Director Rich Roca and
Kristin Gray, director of Technology Transfer,
presented plaques and cash awards to the inventors during
the Lab's 10th annual Invention of the Year
ceremony, held May 7.
Lance Baird, Jason Benkoski, Andrew Mason and Jennifer
Sample conceived the Physiologically
Responsive Polymers, self-regulated polymers that would
sense a physiological change (such as an
allergic response) and release an appropriate therapeutic
(such as an antihistamine) in proportion to
the physiological condition. The polymers would remove the
need for expensive implant devices and, in
some cases, mitigate the need for continuous medical
supervision.
Harry Charles, Shaun Francomacaro, Allen Keeney and
John Lehtonen developed Ultrathin,
Flexible Multichip Modules for making rugged, lightweight
and compact microelectronic assemblies
about half the thickness of a human hair. The assemblies
can be inexpensively mass-produced, use
little power and can be mounted or laminated to curved
surfaces, leading to potential uses in smart
cards, active circuit appliques, implantable biomedical
devices and even fabrics.
In addition, APL engineer Jack Roberts received a
Master Inventor award, joining 21 other past
and current APL staff members who hold at least 10
patents.
Since APL opened its Office of Technology Transfer in
1999, Lab technologies have been
transferred to companies in 37 states and abroad.
Institute for JH Nursing receives AANP four-year
accreditation
The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing —
created in 1996 as a partnership between The Johns
Hopkins University School of Nursing and The Johns Hopkins
Hospital — has received a four-year
accreditation from the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners to continue its commitment to
providing nurses with excellent continuing education.
Nurse practitioners must remain on the cutting edge of
clinical and professional information to
stay abreast of the rapidly changing science of medicine
and nursing, according to Jo Ann Coleman,
coordinator of the Pancreas Multidisciplinary Cancer Clinic
at the hospital.
The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing is "an ideal
forum to provide excellent continuing
education programs," she said. "Having a four-year
accreditation from the AANP demonstrates to the
[nurse practitioner] looking for a quality CE program that
IJHN has met rigorous requirements and
will present excellent and quality programs."
Swine flu-related automatic travel screening
lifted
The Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event
Preparedness and Response last week lifted the
automatic travel screening requirement for faculty, staff
and students returning from H1N1 (swine)
flu "hot zones" such as Mexico. Now, the only people who
need screening before returning to school or
work are those who already have an influenzalike illness,
including a fever. For updates on H1N1 flu, go
to the CEPAR Web site at:
www.hopkins-cepar.org.
GO TO MAY 18, 2009
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