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CLAS in the News
Parasites get no respect
National Public Radio, July 23, 2008
NPR reports on a paper in this week’s Nature, describing parasites as “stealth predators” that may play a bigger role than expected in ecosystems. Maria Pickering, PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is a co-author of the paper. (Note: scroll to bottom of the NPR site for the broadcast.)
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=4&islist=true&id=2&d=07-23-2008
Cicadas leave one last mark on Cape
Cape Cod Times, July 22, 2008
It may look like fall, but the brown leaves on some trees are just the last hurrah of the 17-year cicadas, says a researcher in EEB.
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080722/NEWS/807220318/-1/SPECIAL17
A childish stunt that only shocks and offends
Hartford Courant, July 20, 2008
English Professor Regina Barreca’s commentary article takes The New Yorker to task for its recent cover depicting Barack Obama as a Muslim and his wife as an armed militant.
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarybarreca0720.artjul20,0,1155766.column
An archaeology lesson in Glastonbury
Hartford Courant, July 18, 2008
Nicholas Bellantoni, associate professor of anthropology and state archaeologist, is leading middle and high school students on a dig to research the history in their own town.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/ec/hc-gladig0718.art0jul18,0,7457420.story
State of the state
WNPR, Faith Middleton Show, July 11, 2008
Fred Carstenson, professor of economics and director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, talks about the state of Connecticut’s economy.
http://www.cpbn.org/program/faith-middleton-show/episode/fred-carstensen-rob-gifford
Soon, electric heat could be cheaper than oil
Hartford Courant, July 14, 1008
But don’t rip out your oil furnace yet, advises Arthur Wright, professor emeritus of economics.
http://www.courant.com/business/custom/consumer/hc-heating0715.artjul15,0,425737.story
Finding out what makes a good cop tick
Stamford Advocate, July 13, 2008
Crystal Park, associate professor of psychology, and the state psychologist are studying how first-year police officers cope with the pressures of the job.
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/ci_9866229
Spike Lee to shoot biopic on UConn professor
Hartford Courant, July 11, 2008
UConn physics professor Ronald Mallett and his book about his quest to time travel will be the subject of an upcoming Spike Lee film.
http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-spikeleemovie0711.artjul11,0,2029610.story
Connecticut’s population growth stagnant
Connecticut Post, July 10, 2008
The Connecticut State Data Center in CLAS shows population growth dwindling in Connecticut, opening the possibility that the state will lose one of its five congressional seats.
http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_9833010
Chimney swifts and their conservation
WFCR, Field Notes, July 7, 2008
Margaret Rubega, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and the Connecticut State Ornithologist, describes how she is building mock chimney prototypes to help chimney swifts replace their preferred breeding habitat, which is rapidly disappearing.
http://www.wfcr.org/field_notes/animals/0707_FN_Swifts.mp3
UConn’s giant corpse flower begins blooming
Hartford Courant, July 8, 2008
The corpse flower is once again sending its deadly fragrance through the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology greenhouse.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hcu-corpseflower-0708,0,7240138.story
UConn professor to start human rights center in Argentina
WNPR, Connecticut Public Radio, July 8, 2008
Amii Omara-Otunnu, associate professor of history and UNESCO Chair in Human Rights, will help start a world center for human rights in Argentina.
http://www.cpbn.org/uconn-professor-start-human-rights-center-argentina
The comeback fish
The Hartford Courant, July 5, 2008
The striped bass’s comeback in the Connecticut River is a great success for fisheries management, says Eric Schultz, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.
http://www.courant.com/features/outdoors/hc-morebass.artjul05,0,3145026.story
Deadly allure of African peace keeping
Black Star News, July 6, 2008
Amii Omara-Otunnu, associate professor of history and UNESCO Chair in Human Rights, asks why the international community can mobilize resources for military peacekeeping in Africa that dwarf the resources given for peace-building.
http://www.blackstarnews.com/?c=122&a=4671
Scientists get a “gander” at state’s geological past
The Day, New London, July 6, 2008
A missing piece of Connecticut’s geological past just became known in the past 20 to 25 years, as scientists have started to understand the role of plate tectonics, says Ralph Lewis, assistant professor in residence of marine sciences and former state geologist.
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=b6e26d74-c803-4c15-ac75-51d82b7ab1c8
Student enrollment shrinking
Hartford Business Journal, June 30, 2008
The Connecticut State Data Center in CLAS reports that low birth rates and a trend of people moving out of state means that public school enrollment will shrink by more than 90,000 through 2020.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news5914.html
Michelle’s homemaker side
Chicago Sun-Times, July 1, 2008
Michelle Obama is being strategic to show her “Suzy Homemaker” side, says Evelyn Simien, associate professor of political science.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1033178,CST-NWS-michelle01.article#
Anger management: Why parents shouldn’t yell at their kids
The (Kankakee) Daily Journal, June 30, 2008
Parents have a natural tendency to fixate on unwanted behavior, and some find it easier to yell at their children’s misbehavior, says Preston Britner, professor of Human Development and Family Studies.
http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=423187
Michelle Obama has a busy summer ahead
USA Today, July 1, 2008
Evelyn Simien, associate professor of political science, comments on the stereotype of black women as angry.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-06-29-michelleinside_N.htm
Writing, painting, rallying, and beyond
Waterbury Republican-American, July 1, 2008
Davyne Verstandig, lecturer in the English Department at the Torrington campus, is a poet, author, painter, and teacher who energetically directs the Litchfield County Writers Project.
http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2008/07/01/lifestyle/351417.txt
UConn study says school population to drop
The Day, New London, June 26, 2008
A new study by the Connecticut State Data Center in CLAS shows that Connecticut’s public school population created two years ago and is now declining, reports the Associated Press.
http://www.theday.com/re_ap.aspx?re=/C/CT_SCHOOL_POPULATION_CTOL-
Report: Solving state’s tough environmental problems requires lifestyle changes
Hartford Courant, June 26, 2008
Decline and disease in the lobster population of the Long Island Sound could point back to environmental problems in the state, says biologist Hans Laufer, emeritus professor in CLAS.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-enviroreport0626.artjun26,0,2172198.story
Kenya service delivery unimpressive, says study
Business Daily Africa, June 26, 2008
Kenya ranks low among African countries for providing the types of services that could improve its national economy, says economics associate professor Mwangi S. Kimenyi, who is founder of the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis.
http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8427
Top new species revealed
MSNBC, June 24, 2008
Janine Caira, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Biology, chaired an international committee that chose the top 10 new species discovered in 2007.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25217346/
UConn review sees tough times for state
Bristol Press, June 24, 2008
The latest issue of The Connecticut Economy, published by the Economics Department, says that Connecticut could lose up to 16,000 jobs or gain 17,000, depending on the performance of the U.S. economy.
http://www.bristolpress.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/BigDaily?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FTBP%2FHome&r21.content=%2FTBP%2FHome%2FTopStoryList_Story_2252880
Midocean trawlers mine world’s seamounts
Christian Science Monitor, June 19, 2008
Peter Auster, science director for the National Undersea Research Center at Avery Point and marine science faculty member of CLAS, says that the deep-water fish species being mined by large trawling operations are not helping the world’s starving.
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/06/19/midocean-trawlers-mine-world%E2%80%99s-seamounts/
Insects’ loud song isn’t bugging Connecticut scientist
Charleston Daily Mail, June 20, 2008
John Cooley,researcher in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has logged more than 7,400 miles in search of cicadas in this spring’s outbreak, and he has relied on volunteers to help map where they are emerging.
http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/200806190191
20 years of digging through the past
Journal Inquirer, June 18, 2008
Nicholas Bellantoni, associate professor of anthropology and state archaeologist, calls what he does, “anthropology of the dead.”
http://www.journalinquirer.com/articles/2008/06/17/living/doc4852918008b41442501093.txt
Spike Lee takes on ‘Time Traveler’
Variety, June 17, 2008
Filmmaker Spike Lee has bought the film rights to physics professor Ronald Mallett’s book, Time Traveler: A Scientist’s Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality,” and he will co-write and direct a feature film based on it.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987632.html
Economists say state could dodge deep recession
Hartford Business Journal, June 16, 2008
The most troubling economic indicator in Connecticut is the rapidly declining level of tax revenues, but how far the recession goes in Connecticut will depend on the U.S. economy, says Steven Lanza, editor of the Economics Department’s magazine, The Connecticut Economy.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news5764.html
Deregulation juiced state’s electric rates
Hartford Business Journal, June 16, 2008
Connecticut had the highest retail electric rates in the nation in 2007, and deregulation is the main factor, say UConn economists in the latest issue of The Connecticut Economy, published by the Department of Economics.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news5762.html
Heroism or hesitation?
Hartford Courant, June 11, 2008
Is failure to act in a crisis human nature or a sign of abandoned values? Charles Lowe, psychology professor and department head, says that “bystander effect” explains why people on Park Street recently looked on when a hit-and-run victim lay in the street.
http://www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-notconnected.artjun11,0,207413.story
Are Connecticut’s film production tax breaks paying off?
Hartford Courant, June 11, 2008
A study for The Connecticut Economy magazine, published yesterday by the Economics Department, found that 400 jobs were created by tax breaks for film companies, but it’s too early to say whether the tax credits are paying off.
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-ctfilms0611.artjun11,0,1902937.story
Our View: State’s economy stumbling along with rest of U.S.
Norwich Bulletin, June 10, 2008
The Connecticut Economy, published by the Economics Department, forecasts continuing job losses during the next two years.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/opinions/x548250538/Our-View-States-economy-stumbling-along-with-rest-of-U-S
Cape is again abuzz
Boston Globe, June 10, 2008
Raucous hordes of 17-year cicadas are again checking in, and Cape Cod residents have front row seats to a rare show, says UConn biologist John Cooley.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/06/10/cape_is_again_abuzz/
Cicadas emerging in Berks after years underground
Reading Eagle, Reading, PA, June 11, 2008
Volunteers are helping biologists from UConn map the emergence of 17-year cicadas in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=94996
UConn Report: Electric-rate increases spun by deregulation
The Day, New London, June 11, 2008
The Connecticut Economy magazine, published by the Economics Department in CLAS, reports in its summer issue that deregulation has contributed to Connecticut having some of the highest electric rate increases in the country.
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=e93a1714-3819-4540-9a87-2ce5b3ec680f
In the Field: New brood on its way to the top
Newsday, June 8, 2008
Volunteers on Long Island are helping CLAS scientists update their maps of periodical cicada broods, as the cicadas emerge from their 17-year slumber.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longislandlife/ny-nw085716056jun08,0,1476371.story
City\'s Giant Insect Orgy
The New York Post, June 5, 2008
The males will sing their distinctive song, the females will swoon; the cicadas are coming. UConn entomologists tell all.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06052008/news/regionalnews/citys_giant_insect_orgy_114074.htm
Nature News
May 30, 2008
Scientists have developed a material that resembles paper and that can absorb 20 times its weight in oil, making the technology useful in cleaning up oil spills. Steven L. Suib, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, was a co-author and collaborator on the work.
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080530/full/news.2008.865.html
Religion is a product of evolution, software suggests
ABC News, May 28, 2008
A new computer model of how religion evolved adds dimension to the debate, but forces that maintain religion in modern humans could be very different, says anthropology faculty member Richard Sosis.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=4941496&page=1
Stark contrasts between McCain and Obama in judicial wars
New York Times, May 28, 2008
Republican control of the White house for 20 of the past 28 years has led to an ideological imbalance on the courts, says political science faculty member David A. Yalof.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/us/politics/28judges.html?emc=tnt&tntemail0=y
Noisy return of cicadas expected after 17 years
Newsday, May 23, 2008
Chris Simon, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, comments on the expected return of 17-year cicadas to Suffolk County, Long Island.
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-licica225698981may23,0,4425566.story?page=1
Doctoral candidate to serve his country
Hartford Courant, May 20, 2008
Jie Hou, a PhD candidate in molecular and cell biology, emigrated to the U.S. from China nine years ago. Now he is interrupting his graduate studies to serve four years in the U.S. Air Force.
http://www.courant.com/community/news/ec/hc-ctchineseuconn0520.artmay20,0,2241189.story
Study: Connecticut to lose 24,000 jobs in next two years
Norwich Bulletin, May 17, 2008
The Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis released its quarterly forecast, showing a deteriorating state economy, and Fred Carstensen, director, says the state’s aging population and high cost of living are trouble signs.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x934425688/Study-Conn-to-lose-24-000-jobs-in-next-two-years
Digital free-for-alls embarrass newspapers
The Day, New London, May 18, 2008
Newspaper on-line comment forums that allow readers open access to posting comments about articles have taken on a toxic tone that journalism faculty member Marcel Dufresne says are damaging newspapers’ credibility.
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=fc7f5e8e-7173-4eb7-bbdb-91fc9d8efa41
Radcliffe studies school funding
Meriden Record Journal, May 17, 2008
The executive director of an advocacy group, Meriden Children First Initiative, David Radcliffe, earned his master’s degree in public policy this spring with a research paper that examines the impact of school funding levels on towns.
http://www.myrecordjournal.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19697786&BRD=2755&PAG=461&dept_id=592709&rfi=6
Removing, little by little, a history on stone
New York Times, May 18, 2008
Geologist Robert M. Thorson, director of the Stone Wall Initiative in CLAS, says that stealing stone walls is akin to “strip mining history.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/18colct.html?pagewanted=1&tntemail0=y&_r=1&emc=tnt
Connecticut jobs forecast, jobs report differ
Hartford Courant, May 16, 2008
A report by the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis in CLAS forecasts a loss of 24,000 jobs in Connecticut over the next two years, a less optimistic outlook than employment figures from the state Department of Labor indicate.
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-ctjobs0516.artmay16,0,4292090.story
Aid at the point of a gun
New York Times, May 14, 2008
US military intervention to supply aid to Myamar could easily be done, although “the very act of our invasion could land us with the responsibility for fixing Burma afterward,” writes CLAS alumnus Robert Kaplan in an Op-Ed article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/opinion/14kaplan.html?th&emc=th
Filling the pipeline
The Hartford Advocate, April 16, 2008
Connecticut lags behind other states in providing manufacturers with the necessary skilled workers, says Fred Carstensen, director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis in CLAS.
http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=7378
Dead Voters? Probe Finds Errors in Records
The Hartford Courant, April 20, 2008
Journalism students led by Marcel Dufresne, associate professor who teaches investigative reporting, found that hundreds of dead people are showing up to vote in Connecticut elections.
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-deadvoters0420.artapr20,0,7619723.story
New Dean for UConn
The Hartford Courant, April 9, 2008
Jeremy Teitelbaum will join CLAS as dean in mid-August, following the retirement of Dean Ross D. MacKinnon.
http://www.courant.com/news/local/ec/hc-digbrf0409.art25apr09,0,1533868.story
Home sales prices decline in state
The Hartford Courant, April 8, 2008
The housing market is weak and will take some time to improve, says Steven P. Lanza, executive editor of The Connecticut Economy, a publication of the Economics Department.
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-housing0408.artapr08,0,1041778.story
Equal alliance, unequal roles
The New York Times, March 27, 2008
Robert D. Kaplan, CLAS 73, who is a national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine, writes in an Op-Ed article that a two-tiered NATO has advantages for the U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/opinion/27kaplan.html?th&emc=th
Front Street stumbles
Hartford Advocate, March 27, 2008
Front Street, the lagging proposed development on Columbus Avenue, will not close the gap in revitalizing downtown Hartford, says economics professor Fred Carstensen, director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis.
http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=6750
Economics expert says impact on consumers to be minimal
The Day, New London, March 18, 2008
The bailout and sale of Bear Stearns Co. won’t directly affect the average consumer, but the current financial crunch is worrisome, says Arthur Wright, emeritus professor and former department head of economics.
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=62db4866-69f2-4ef8-8b26-f174042b9c54
Tri-state tribulations
Forbes, March 12, 2008
Lt. Gov. David Paterson has a daunting task as he assumes the governorship of New York after Eliot Spitzer’s resignation, says public policy professor Ken Dautrich.
http://www.forbes.com/leadership/2008/03/12/newyork-spitzer-governor-lead-cx_mk_0312paterson.html
Slot machine revenue drops at NE casinos
Boston Globe, March 12, 2008
As Massachusetts considers whether to build three casinos, there is some indication that the market is saturated in New England, says Arthur Wright, professor emeritus of economics who tracks the casino industry.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/03/12/slot_machine_revenue_drops_at_ne_casinos/
Pension debt among worst in nation
Hartford Business Journal, March 10, 2008
The state’s unfunded pension liability is a growing concern, says Arthur Wright, professor emeritus of economics and author of a report in The Connecticut Economy magazine.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news4789.html
No more scavenger hunts
Nature, March 6, 2008
A study of anti-depressants that was co-authored by two UConn psychology professors highlights “the need for data to be transparent,” a Nature editorial says. To access data for the study, researchers had to file a Freedom of Information Act request with the FDA, the editorial notes.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v452/n7183/full/452001a.html
Is Connecticut headed for a recession?
Front and Center, WNPR and CPTV
The Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA) predicts a deteriorating state economy in these public radio and television programs hosted by Connecticut Public Broadcasting’s Ray Hardman.
http://www.cpbn.org/program/front-amp-center-ray-hardman/episode/connecticut-headed-recession
Dr. Johnson on whether NZ is over-medicating
TV Channel 3, New Zealand, Feb. 27, 2008
Blair Johnson, professor of social psychology in CLAS and a principal investigator in CHIP, is interviewed about a paper he co-authored showing that commonly prescribed antidepressants provide little benefit for most people.
http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/HealthNews/Story/tabid/420/articleID/47535/cat/84/Default.aspx
Report: Casino gamble hasn’t hurt Connecticut towns
Boston Herald, Feb. 26, 2008
The latest issue of The Connecticut Economy, published by the Economics Department in CLAS, shows that Connecticut’s casinos have not caused a surge in crime and traffic accidents. But critics in Massachusetts, where Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed a plan for three casinos, dispute the report.
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1075962.
Residents reflect on Fidel Castro’s reign, resignation
Norwich Bulletin, Feb. 20, 2008
Raul Castro is not a carbon copy of his brother, Fidel, says Donna Lee Van Cott, associate professor of political science in CLAS and a specialist in Latin American politics.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x1011192872
Mystic Aquarium, UConn partnership receives $500K grant
Norwich Bulletin, Feb. 13, 2008
A grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to marine scientists in CLAS and Mystic Aquarium will enable the collaborators to train graduate and post doctoral students in the emerging field of oceans and human health.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x866625611/?printview=true
Out of Kenya’s violence, rebirth
The Christian Science Monitor, Feb. 12, 2008
The causes of violence in Kenya go far beyond what foreign reporters are calling a conflict between two tribes, writes journalism faculty member Kodi Barth, who is from Kenya.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0212/p09s02-coop.html
State voters showed primary colors
The Hartford Courant, Feb. 10, 2008
A proponent of New Politics often captures the votes of Democrats in Connecticut, and Republicans here have a different definition of conservative than the rest of the country, writes Howard Reiter, professor and department head, political science.
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentaryreiter0210.artfeb10,0,5724889.story
Nearly neighbors, but split over Clinton and Obama
The New York Times, Feb. 7, 2008
Why did Connecticut and New York, so similar in many ways, prefer different Democrats in their presidential primaries? Connecticut has an independent streak, says public policy professor Ken Dautrich.
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntget=2008/02/07/nyregion/07region.html&tntemail0=y&oref=slogin
Polls ahead of Super Tuesday
WNPR, Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, Feb
WNPR’s host of Where We Live, John Dankosky, interviews Howard Reiter, professor and head of political science, and other experts about the prospects for Super Tuesday voting.
http://www.cpbn.org/?q=node/3084
Top 10 “rising stars” honored
Central News Agency, Taipei, Taiwan
Dr. Wen Lih-chyi, a PhD alumna of CLAS in economics, has been named one of 10 “rising stars” for 2008 in Taiwan. The selection was made by a panel of university presidents and honors innovation and achievement by those under 40 years old.
http://times.hinet.net/news/20080122/English/1ea658bca577.htm
Why Clinton won
CBS News, Jan. 9, 2008
Monika L. McDermott, assistant professor of political science and a political consultant for CBS, says Clinton pulled together a traditional coalition of Democratic voters, and, of course, women.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/08/politics/printable3689566.shtml
Why McCain won
CBS News, Jan. 8, 2008
McCain’s support in the New Hampshire primary came from voters who made their decision within the past week and a half, says Monika L. McDermott, assistant professor of political science and a CBS News political consultant.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/08/politics/main3689561.shtml
Fever may improve behavior in autistic kids
ABC News, Dec. 3, 2007
Deborah Fein, professor of psychology, cautions about a new study suggesting that fever could improve behavior in autistic children.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3938965&page=1
Panelists urge 3rd Conn. casino to counteract Mass. plans
The Boston Globe, Dec. 12, 2007
A preemptive move by Connecticut would be better than waiting to see the impact of casinos in Massachusetts, says Arthur W. Wright, professor emeritus of economics.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2007/12/12/panelists_urge_3d_conn_casino_to_counteract_mass_plans/
How to Survive the Lecture Course
The New York Times, Education, Jan. 6, 2008
Students’ success in a large lecture course depends on good study habits, says David Miller, professor of psychology in CLAS and an award-winning teacher of introductory psychology.
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntget=2008/01/06/education/edlife/strategy.html&tntemail0=y&oref=slogin
A Push for Adults Who Return to School
The New York Times, Dec. 30, 2007
Frank Ruotolo, CLAS ’63, took early retirement 12 years ago from his job as a social studies teacher at Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Now, he has become renowned among high school dropouts for relentlessly encouraging them to finish their high school education.
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&tntget=2007/12/30/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/30givect.html&tntemail0=y
Farmland Stone Coveted by Surburbanites
WNPR, Dec. 3, 2007
Geologist Robert Thorson talks about the loss of New England’s stone walls to suburban development. Some old stone walls are even offered for sale on Craig’s List, an Internet classified site.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wnpr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1192125
Bio Engineering
The New York Times, Nov. 4, 2007
Ross Miller, professor of English, is at least three years away from completing his authorized biography of writer Philip Roth. A Times essay examines the pitfalls of writing the biography of a living subject. In Roth’s new novel, Exit Ghost, writer Nathan Zuckerman tells a biographer, “I’m going to do everything I can to sabotage you.”
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntget=2007/11/04/books/review/Donadio-t.html&tntemail0
The Navy’s New Flat-Earth Strategy
The Atlantic Monthly, Oct. 24, 2007
CLAS alumnus Robert D. Kaplan, ’73 English, writes about the Navy’s new plan for policing the seas.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200710u/kaplan-navy
History, Rebranded
New York Times, Oct. 28, 2007
Connecticut’s Antiquarian & Landmarks Society is changing its name to Connecticut Landmarks, a move that Walter Woodward, state historian and assistant professor of history in CLAS, says will encourage people to visit historic properties.
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&tntget=2007/10/28/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/28landmarkct.html&tntemail0=y
Palaeoanthropology: The Coast in Colour
Nature, Oct. 17, 2007
Sally McBrearty, professor of anthropology in CLAS, and Chris Stringer from the Natural History Museum, London, comment on “strong findings” of early human use of shellfish.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v449/n7164/full/449793a.html
Key Human Traits Tied to Shellfish Remains
New York Times, Oct. 18, 2007
A finding of early humans using shellfish in their diet and for dye provides strong evidence of modern behavior as early as 164,000 years ago, writes Sally McBrearty, professor of anthropology, and a co-author in a Nature article accompanying the new report.
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&tntget=2007/10/18/science/18beach.html&tntemail0=y
Scientists Make Rare Find in South African Cave
National Public Radio, Morning Edition, Oct. 18, 2
Evidence of the first early humans to eat shellfish may have been found in South Africa, NPR reports. The new research finding is supported by an accompanying article in Nature co-authored by Sally McBrearty, professor of anthropology in CLAS.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15391834
From Survivor to Developer to Benefactor
New York Times, Oct. 14, 2007
Simon Konover, a major benefactor to UConn who has just endowed a $1.5 million chair in Judaic Studies in CLAS, never finished high school. His studies, and life as he knew it, were cut off by the Holocaust.
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&tntget=2007/10/14/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/14colct.html&tntemail0=y
Sputnik’s legacy behind the Iron Curtain
International Herald Tribune, Oct. 9, 2007
Sputnik and the Space Race affected the careers of three generations of his family, writes Vasili Kharchenko, physics professor in CLAS.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/09/news/edkharch.php
Sputnik’s Legacy Behind the Iron Curtain
Boston Globe, Oct. 9, 2007
Vasili Kharchenko, physics professor in CLAS, writes in an Op-Ed article about Sputnik’s legacy, for his family and for Russia, his native country, and the U.S., where he is now a citizen.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/10/09/sputniks_legacy_behind_the_iron_curtain/
For Dodd, First Race was Call to Service, Legacy
National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, Oct. 8, 2
Political Science professor and department head Howard Reiter is asked to recall the early years of Senator Chris Dodd’s political life, when he first ran for the Senate in 1974.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14694831
Outsourcing Conflict
Unbound Atlantic Monthly, September 2007
CLAS alumnus Robert Kaplan, ’73 English, national correspondent for The Atlantic, writes about military outsourcing and the Blackwater controversy.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200709u/kaplan-blackwater
Is Time Travel Possible?
CNN, Sept. 28, 2007
CNN’s Adrian Finighan interviews UConn theoretical physicist Ronald Mallett about the possibility of building a real time machine.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2007/09/28/intv.mallett.time.travel.cnn
Census to change Congress
Norwich Bulletin, Sept. 30, 2007
Florida could get as many as three additional seats on Congress and Arizona and Texas could each gain two, based on their undocumented immigrant population, according to a study by the Connecticut State Data Center in CLAS.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x1429058089/index.html?printview=true
The Plane That Would Bomb Iran
The Atlantic Monthly, September 2007
CLAS alumnus Robert D. Kaplan, ’73 English, Atlantic Monthly national correspondent, gives an insider’s view of the Air Force’s top strategic weapon, the B-2 stealth bomber.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200709/b2
Researchers Search for Disappearing Fish
WFSB-TV, July 9, 2007
Scientists in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in CLAS are using electricity to find fish in the Connecticut River.
http://www.wfsb.com/news/13649005/detail.html
Gender-bending avatars inspire less trust
NewScientist, July 2007
On the Web and in the digital world, communications are perceived as more trustworthy if they are presented by a male or female character rather than an androgynous persona, according to a study by communications sciences faculty member Kristine Nowak and PhD student Christian Rauh.
http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn12199
Democracy Where it’s Pure and Never Simple
Christian Science Monitor, May 11, 2007
The New England town meeting is a rare example of hands-on, participatory democracy, says town meeting expert Michael Morrell, an assistant professor of political science in CLAS.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0511/p20s01-lihc.html?page=3
Moving beyond podcasts: multimedia and the academic experience
ars technica, the art of technology, April 23, 200
David Miller, professor of psychology, talks with interviewer John Timmer about his use of podcasts to expand teaching opportunities.
http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/moving-beyond-podcasts.ars
Connecticut’s Geological History
WNPR’s Where We Live, March 5, 2007
Randy Steinem, professor emeritus of geology, talks about Connecticut’s impressive core rock sample collection, which he is archiving for the Department of Environmental Protection. The bedrock samples from around the state show what Connecticut was like 200 million years ago.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wnpr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1048813§ionID=760
Moths Elude Spiders by Mimicking Them, Study Says
National Geographic News, Feb. 14, 2007
Jadranka Rota, a PhD student in ecology and evolutionary biology, and her adviser, EEB faculty member David Wagner, found that metalmark moths in the genus Brenthia escape being a meal for jumping spiders by striking a pose that makes them look like their predator.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070214-moths-mimic.html
Exonerated Prisoners Adjust to Life on the Outside
National Public Radio, Feb. 27, 2007
Greg Hampikian, CLAS ’82 BS, ’86 MS, ’90 PhD, now a biology professor at Boise State University in Idaho, is on the board of the Innocence Project in two states, Georgia, and Idaho, where he is director. The project works to free unjustly convicted prisoners. A DNA expert, Hampikian was instrumental in the release of two exonerated prisoners in Georgia. Hear their story.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7567797
In Focus Today: Early Childhood Education
WNPR, Feb. 27, 2007
As advocates and lawmakers in Connecticut discuss where and how the state should invest in early education, what steps should pre-K parents and students be taking? JoAnn Robinson, professor of human development and family studies in CLAS, was interviewed on Connecticut Public Radio, WNPR.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wnpr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1045891
For Many Colonial-Era Walls, No Tumbling is Allowed
New York Times, Feb. 7, 2007
Towns are beginning to realize the significance of protecting their old stone walls, says UConn geologist Robert Thorson.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/07/nyregion/07wall.html?em&ex=1170997200&en=1adcae414b57c492&ei=5087%0A
Top Science Story Poll Results
Discover, January 2007
Research by anthropologist Dan Adler showing that Neanderthals were expert hunters and the top predators in their area is as one of the Top 100 science stories of the year, chosen by readers of Discover magazine.
http://www.discover.com/issues/jan-07/features/paleontology/#7
Scientist Plays Key Role in International Marine Census
Bulletin of the Connecticut Academy of Science and
Ann Bucklin, head of the marine sciences department, is interviewed about her role as director of the international Census of Marine Zooplankton.
http://www.ctcase.org/bulletin/21_4/21_4.pdf
Political Scandals Refuse to go away in ‘Corrupticut’
Washington Post, July 3, 2006
“We thought we were a state of Yankee integrity,” said Howard Reiter, professor and head of the political science department in CLAS. Still, more officeholders face corruption charges.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/02/AR2006070200595.html?referrer=email
Color-Changing Clothes Could Match Mood, Surroundings
National Geographic News, April 11, 2006
Gregory Sotzing, associate professor of polymer and organic chemistry, has created threads from electrochromic polymers, opening up the possibility of clothes that change colors with changing light conditions.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0411_060411_thread_color.html
The Coming Normalcy?
The Atlantic Monthly, April 2006
Robert D. Kaplan, CLAS ‘73, national correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, offers his view that the State Department will become a vital asset in smaller, “soft power” operations by the Pentagon in the long war against terrorism.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200604/coming-normalcy
Neandertals Hunted as Well as Humans, Study Says
National Geographic, January 17, 2006
Paleoanthropoligist Daniel Adler, assistant professor of anthropology, uncovered new evidence that the Neandertal extinction was not due to a lack of ability to hunt, as originally thought. Adler is working at the Ortvale Klde Rockshelter in the Georgian Republic.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0125_060125_neanderthal.html
First Chimp Fossil Unearthed
Nature, September 1, 2005
Anthropology Professor Sally McBrearty discovered the first chimp fossils in East Africa, a dry environment where nobody expected to find them. The find is “the first hard evidence of the evolutionary path that led to today’s chimpanzees.”
http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050829/full/050829-10.html