The Johns Hopkins Gazette: January 10, 2000
January 10, 2000
VOL. 29, NO. 17

  

In Brief

Johns Hopkins Gazette Online Edition

Brody to talk on 'The Quantum Physics Model of the University'

President William R. Brody will give the inaugural lecture, "The Quantum Physics Model of the University in the New Millennium," in an APL series titled "Millennial Challenges: Colloquia 2000."

The event is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 14, Kossiakoff Center.

"In the past, we thought of universities along the model of the classical physics idea of the atom--a sphere with sharply demarcated boundaries," Brody says. "Faculty were tightly bound to the core of the university like electrons around the nucleus. The university was bounded by geography as well, with well-defined campus boundaries, faculty who were solely full-time and fierce competition with other universities.

"The university of the 21st century," he continues, "will look more like the quantum physics model of the atom--a cloud with fuzzy borders and electrons that may be shared between nuclei. Expertise will be king, so to produce world-class research, you need a collection of world-class experts--often located at different institutions across the globe."

Brody will look at how this new model of the university will change higher education, the ways in which research will be affected and how Johns Hopkins, as one of the premier research universities in America, is adapting to this new, and profoundly different, model.

For more information, call Kishin Moorjani, chair of the colloquium committee, at 240-228-5625.


Y2K turnover comes--and goes--without a hitch

The champagne bottles were popped, the ball dropped, and ABC's Peter Jennings stayed up around the clock. Yes, the dreaded turnover from 1999 to 2000 has come and gone, and despite concerns that some computers and electronic gadgets would go cuckoo, the university, like the majority of the world, has passed the Y2K test with flying colors.

No, the Hopkins class of 2000 did not suddenly become the class of 1900. In fact, all university divisions have reported no major problems to date, and the few minor glitches that did pop up during the holiday weekend were quickly dealt with, according to information technology personnel across the university.

The university's Y2K Response Team, for example, received only 10 inquiries on its dedicated Y2K hotline. However, eight of those calls were the result of remote access to network services being turned down temporarily as a precautionary measure.

At the Applied Physics Laboratory, major worries of what could go wrong turned into a sweet, little problem, as one of the institution's candy machines decided to disgorge its entire contents just prior to New Year's. When the machine's vendor was contacted, however, APL representatives were told this was a "not so uncommon, non-Y2K event."

Stephanie Reel, the university's chief information officer, says the last three years of diligence that Hopkins' divisions put toward squashing the millennium bug have ultimately paid off. As many as seven years ago, Reel says, the university was working on correcting the programming glitch.

"I think it was a wonderfully uneventful weekend that resulted from the great hard work of many folks," Reel said. "I am so proud, and so grateful, for the dedication and commitment of many very talented people who were appropriately attentive and remained realistic throughout the years, months and weeks before the event."

Reel says that although it's appropriate to breathe a heavy sigh of relief now that 2000 is upon us, the university is not totally in the clear just yet.

"We have a few more milestones to meet and a few more dates to watch, including Feb. 29 and fiscal year-end, but we know we can meet any challenge that we might encounter," Reel says.

The date Feb. 29 is a concern because some computers and software were not programmed to register 2000 for what it is, a leap year.


Crime-prevention seminar created for Charles Villagers

During the past year, the Baltimore City Police Department, working in partnership with the Charles Village Benefits District, has been successful in reducing crime in the Charles Village neighborhood. Now, in order to expand its efforts, the Northern District is offering a pro-active, community crime-prevention seminar created specifically for Charles Village residents. The seminar will focus on providing concrete methods for improving personal safety and preventing property-related crime.

The seminar will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 22, in Shaffer Auditorium, Homewood campus. A continental breakfast will be provided. Admission is free, but reservations are required; call 410-235-4411.


Early Maryland glass to be exhibited at Homewood House

Bubble to Bottle, Pontil to Prism: Early Glass in Maryland, an exhibition focusing on glass made or used in Maryland between 1785 and 1835, opens at Homewood House on Friday, Jan. 21. Homewood's fourth annual exhibition, it will continue through April 30.

Displayed throughout Homewood's rooms will be objects from major museums and seldom-seen treasures from private collections, as well as items from the historic house museum's permanent collections.

Scheduled special events include visits to a Baltimore glass blower, a glass-engraving and -painting workshop, a lecture by guest curator Jennifer Goldsborough and a Glass Discovery Day with Bruce Levinson of Alex Cooper Auctioneers.


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