2003 J-Card problem found, students must get new accounts

Two files containing the names and some personal information of Homewood undergraduates enrolled in the spring of 2003 had been maintained on an individual's server that, though obscure, was accessible through the Internet, the university learned last week.

The files had been prepared and used to facilitate the authentication of voters in the 2003 Student Council election.

The university moved quickly to have the files removed from the server and from any known Internet search engine cache files and indexes.

In a letter to students, Susan Boswell, dean of student life, said that there were no links to the files elsewhere on the Internet and that there was no evidence of any inappropriate use of the information.

However, because J-Card information was included, and even though a physical card is needed to complete transactions, the university decided that everyone who was enrolled in spring 2003 and still had an active J-Card account would be required to exchange their card for one with a new account number, free of charge.

The Office of ID Card Services, in 51 Garland Hall, will be open today, Jan. 31, through Friday, Feb. 11, from 8:30 a.m. to an extended closing time of 7 p.m. Any cards not exchanged by Feb. 11 are subject to cancellation. Anyone with questions should call 410-516-5121.

 

Nanobioengineering symposium set for Feb. 4 at Homewood

A nanobioengineering symposium, featuring research presentations by 14 faculty members working in this field, will take place on Friday, Feb. 4, in 110 Clark Hall on the Homewood campus. The event, sponsored by the Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Institute, is open to all members of the campus community.

Topics will include nanomaterials, nanofluids, nanomechanics, computing, cellular systems and neural systems. The faculty presentations will begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue through 12:30 p.m. A student poster session will take place from 2 to 3 p.m.

More details about the event will be posted on the Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Institute Web site: www.bme.jhu.edu.

 

APL space scientist receives prestigious Homeric Award

Stamatios M. "Tom" Krimigis, head emeritus of the Space Department at the Applied Physics Laboratory, was recently honored by the Chian Federation of America with the Homeric Award, established 27 years ago to recognize distinguished individuals, advocates of human rights and democratic ideals, and those who have furthered human knowledge.

Krimigis is the first scientist to be honored by this award, which traditionally has been given to political figures, including former President Jimmy Carter and Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

The New York-based Chian Federation brings together organizations of Americans descended from the Greek island of Chios, the reputed birthplace of Homer.

"For nearly four decades, Dr. Krimigis' dedication to science has earned him a place in the forefront of discovery," the federation's Homeric Awards Committee noted. "His mark has been left on pioneering missions like Voyager 1 and 2, with spacecraft that are just now traveling beyond the grasp of Earth's solar system. His experience has helped form new ventures that include NASA's Discovery Program."

Krimigis, who was born in Chios, earned his doctorate in physics from the University of Iowa, where he served on the faculty before joining APL in 1968. He became chief scientist in 1980 and head of the Space Department in 1991, directing the activities of about 600 scientists, engineers and other technical and supporting staff.

 

Jay's Wolfe Street Cafe opens today at School of Public Health

The ninth-floor cafeteria at the Bloomberg School of Public Health opens its doors today, Jan. 31, as Jay's Wolfe Street Cafe. It is being operated by Jay's Restaurant Group, which owns a well-known local deli, take-out establishment, restaurant and catering company. The cafe also will provide catering for events and meetings.

Scott McVicker, director of support services, says the change was made to enhance the environment of the school and that Jay's best matched the school's requirements for quality, variety and customer service.

Specials will include home-style meals as well as Asian, Indian, Mexican/Southwestern, Japanese and Italian dishes. Regular offerings include sushi, salads, fresh sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs and specialty coffees.

The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Sen. Kennedy speaks at SAIS about America's future in Iraq Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) delivered a major address on America's future in Iraq at the School of Advanced International Studies on Jan. 27.

In his speech, Kennedy discussed history's lessons in paving a realistic road forward in Iraq, including the role of American troops in ending politically inspired violence and the impact of a long-term occupation of Iraq. The first senator to call for a withdrawal of troops, Kennedy said, "The U.S. military presence has become part of the problem, not part of the solution."

Francis Fukuyama, SAIS Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy, introduced the senator and moderated the discussion.

Following his speech, Kennedy responded to questions from the SAIS community. The lecture was open to the media for coverage but not to the public. Audio of his remarks is available at www.sais-jhu.edu.

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