Spring/Summer 2000 (PDF) - Spelman College: Home

Spelman National Conferences Address NeedSpelman Climbs ChartAmong Highest in Nationto Send African AmericanStudents to Med SchoolHundreds of international scienceprofessionals, researchers, professors,and students converged inAtlanta during the months of February andApril for two unprecedented scientific conferences.Hosted by Spelman College, the eventsfeatured distinguished guests ranging fromcongressional dignitaries to heads of scienceorganizations.The 5th Annual Model Institutionsfor Excellence National Conferencetook place April 5-8, at bothSpelman and the Atlanta Wyndham Hotel.A highly lauded program involving sixinstitutions, Model Institutions for Excellence(MIE) is a national effort to producecolleges and universities that will serve asmodels for improving the quantity andquality of science, engineering and mathematicsgraduates.Sponsored by the National Science Foundation(NSF) and the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration (NASA), the MIEprogram enhances the educational infrastructureof the participating universities andcolleges to educate students who have beenhistorically underrepresented.“In the new century,innovations in scienceand technology are thekey not only to the healthof the environment, butto the improvements inthe economy and qualityof life for Americans.”President Bill Clinton,State of the Union Address, 2000Conference activities included presentationsby officials from the National ScienceFoundation as well as NASA. Breakout sessionsprovided opportunities for faculty andstaff from the six participating institutions tointeract with students. Students gave oralpresentations as well.“The conference is a way for us to cometogether and share best practices,” said Dr.Etta Falconer, principal investigator for theMIE program at Spelman. Dr. Albert Thompson,Jr., a professor of chemistry, serves as coprincipalinvestigator for the program.Dr. Falconer, Calloway professor of mathematicsand senior advisor to the president,was a major force in making the MIE programa reality. In her many science leadershiproles over the past 30 years, including aperiod as Associate Provost for Science PolicyPrograms, Dr. Falconer has been the integralreason for Spelman’s growing strengthin the sciences.4 I NSIDE S PELMAN

to Engage Minorities in the Sciences“The MIE program is educating highlymotivated students on a path toward success,and effectively changing the makeup of laboratoriesand research facilities to reflect thecountry’s rich diversity,” says Daniel S. Goldin,NASA administrator. MIE is one of a fewnational initiatives specifically designed tonurture high-quality science, engineeringand math education that can be replicatedat colleges and universities nationwide.“We recognize the need for a diverse,highly skilled workforce to shepherd pioneeringscientific research well into the millenniumand beyond.” says Goldin. “It is onlyfitting that the scientific and technologiccommunities invest now in programs likeMIE to inspire inquisitive minds for futurelong-term gains. The MIE initiative hasproven to be among the best investments forrewarding returns, not only for NASA, but forthe nation.”This past February, the College hostedanother national contingency of researchersat the First Annual Symposium of theResearch Infrastructure in MinorityInstitutions (RIMI) program, February18-21, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in downtownAtlanta. RIMI focuses on biomedicaland behavioral research topics and operatesat Spelman under the watchful eye of AssociateProfessor of Biology Dr. Shelia McClure,who also serves as principal investigator forthe RIMI program.Continued on page 7.While uterine fibroidtumors affect approximately25 percent of allwomen, African Americanwomen are five timesas likely to develop suchtumors — a health disparityaddressed by Dr.Sheila McClure’s researchpresentation at the RIMINational Symposium.Spelman’s Science MajorsBiochemistryBiologyChemistryComputer ScienceMathematicsPhysicsEngineering (Dual Degree EngineeringProgram)Natural Sciences (EnvironmentalScience concentration)Model Institutions forExcellence (MIE) CollegesBowie State University, MarylandOglala Lakota College, South DakotaSpelman College, GeorgiaUniversidad Metropolitana, Puerto RicoUniversity of Texas at El PasoXavier University, LouisianaS PRING / SUMMER 2000 5

PARTNER PROFILEMerck & Co., Inc. is a worldwideresearch-intensive company thatdiscovers, develops, manufactures,and markets a broad range ofinnovative human and animal healthproducts. Popular brand productsinclude Pepcid, VIOXX, Propecia, andCrixivan to name a few.A long-standing Corporate Partner,Merck has established the MerckCenter of Science Excellence atSpelman College with a $2 million giftas part of the UNCF/Merck ScienceInitiative. This is the largest corporategift in the College’s history. The center,created five years ago, is designed toadvance Spelman’s capacity toconduct research in the biological andphysical sciences, whilesimultaneously providing a trainingground to increase the representationof highly qualified African Americanstudents in these important fields ofstudy. Specifically, the center supportsthe Merck Scholars Program, theHistorically Black Colleges andUniversities Faculty Training Programand the Merck Lecture Series. Thecenter will also be represented in theCollege’s new state-of-the-art ScienceCenter by two additional MerckTeaching and Research Laboratories.Raymond V. Gilmartin serves as thechairman, president and CEO forMerck & Co., Inc., headquartered inWhitehouse Station, NJ. The corporateliaison since the inception of thepartnership is John Taylor, senior vicepresident of The Merck CompanyFoundation. He works closely withSpelman Project Director Dr. GladysBayse, professor of chemistry, andDr. Jerry L. Bryant, Jr., director of theScience Education Initiatives ofThe College Fund/UNCF, to insuresuccessful implementation of theproject.Merck & Co., Inc.’s ongoingpartnership has provided studentsand alumnae with a myriad ofopportunities with the company,ranging from internships and MerckFellowships to full-time employment.Truly a model for corporate/educationpartnerships, Merck is a valuedmember of the Spelman CorporatePartnership Program.New Member Elected to the Spelman College Board of TrusteesThe Spelman College Board of Trustees recentlyelected to its membership Dr. Bruce H. Wade, associateprofessor of sociology and anthropology, as anew faculty trustee.Dr. Wade was elected to the College Council in 1998. Hehas served on several college committees including the CurriculumCommittee, Continuing Education, Academic Computingand the African Diaspora and the World committeesand was intricately involved in the process of data collectionand analysis for the restructuring of the campus Health ServicesDepartment. In addition, he was chosen to serve as vicechair of the Institutional Effectiveness Committee and to workwith Carl Hendrickson, Professor of Psychology, on the developmentand analysis of campus surveys of faculty, staff andstudents for the institutional self-study. Last summer he wasselected to work with Illinois Power as a Faculty Fellow wherehe developed a minority purchasing program.Before joining Spelman’s faculty, he served on the facultiesof St. Mary’s College, Wesleyan College, Morris Brown Collegeand Morehouse College. His current research interests areprostate cancer, violence and hypertension in African Americanmales. Other research interests include American hip-hop cultureand substance abuse prevention.He has also served as a consultant and trainer for community-basedorganizations, substance abuse prevention programs,violence prevention initiatives and communitycoalition programs over the past several years.The 25-member Spelman College Board of Trustees consistsof nationally recognized leaders ranging from corporateexecutives and noted academicians to entrepreneurs and civicleaders from across the country. Dr. Wade, along with theother board members, will be responsible for setting basic educationaland fiscal policy for the College. Spelman’s prestigiouscouncil is chaired by Spelman alumna, Dr. June GaryHopps, dean and professor at the Boston College GraduateSchool of Social Work.6 I NSIDE S PELMAN

Former Editor of Glamour Magazine Leaves Spelman $50,000Ruth Whitney, past editor of Glamour Magazine only visited Spelman College once; however, that one visit made such animpact that she was inspired to make a $50,000 bequest to the College in her will. Unfortunately in June 1999, Whitney losther battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease at the age of 71.The editor was at the helm of Glamour magazine for 31 years and during this timeinfluenced generations of women. Whitney was known for her bold decisions and frankintelligence. Under her guidance and leadership, Glamour became the first mainstreamAmerican women’s magazine to feature an African American woman on it’s cover in 1968.During one of her last interviews before her death, she said, “I always felt thatI had a mission. I wanted to broaden the scope of a magazine to go with women’s lives.I never wanted to appeal to everyone. That’s not what we’re about, and that’s not thesecret of our success. I really wanted to make women feel good about themselves, notjust about what they wore. I never shied away from controversy.”Whitney was also one of the first editors to publish an interview with Anita Hillfollowing the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991. When Whitney stepped down fromGlamour in the fall of 1998, Good Housekeeping editor-in-chief Ellen Levine toldPeople magazine: “Ruth set a standard for women’s journalism by which we allshould be measuring ourselves. She’s so good, she’s off the charts.”Whitney’s vision and commitment to women and Spelman women, in particular,will always be remembered and appreciated. Through her philanthropicwishes her pioneering spirit will live on.Spelman National Science ConferencesContinued from page 5.The conference brought together some ofthe nation’s most renowned scientists currentlyengaged in research that could lead tobreakthroughs in the fight against HIV/AIDS,and other life-threatening diseases. Papersdelivered at the RIMI National Conferencewill also be published in the highly respectedJournal of Cellular and Molecular Biology.The RIMI initiative was establishedthrough a $3.2 million grant from theNational Institutes of Health-National Centerfor Research Resources, and the Office ofMinority Health in 1996. It enables undergraduateand graduate degree-granting institutionsto implement their plans tosignificantly enhance their capacity andcompetitiveness in the world of biomedicaland behavioral research.Spelman houses a Center for BiomedicalResearch as a part of the RIMI initiative. Themulti-functional center serves as a frameworkto increase collaborations andinterdisciplinary exchanges. Thecenter also provides an efficient aswell as flexible research environmentand provides a supportive scientificatmosphere and resource toattract and retain faculty of thehighest quality.As a result of the RIMI award,there has been an increase in thenumber of grants, publications and presentationsby Spelman faculty in biomedicalresearch areas, says Dr. McClure, whose ownwork in developing human uterine leiomyomacell lines serves as a model system forgaining a better understanding of uterinefibroid tumor progression. While uterinefibroid tumors affect approximately 25percent of all women, African Americanwomen are five times as likely to developsuch tumors. The results of Dr. McClure’sresearch and that of other faculty in theSpelman Center for Biomedical research,were presented at the RIMI NationalSymposium.“Together these nationally recognizedprograms, and Spelman’s participation aswell as leadership in both, illustrate thecommitment that the College maintains inpreparing its students for careers in thesciences and technology,” said SpelmanCollege president, Dr. Audrey Forbes Manley.S PRING / SUMMER 2000 7

M A R K Y O U R C A L E N D A RDavid C. Driskell and Romare Bearden ArtExhibition, Spelman College Museum ofFine ArtTuesday, March 7, 2000 - Monday,May 22, 2000Baccalaureate/CommencementSaturday, May 20, 2000 - Sunday,May 21, 2000Morehouse/Spelman National AlumniConference, Washington D.C.Thursday, June 1, 2000 - Sunday,June 4, 2000For additional information onupcoming events, visit our websiteat www.spelman.eduSPELMAN JUNIOR MALAIKA JONESand her father Terry Jones, who isco-chair with his wife Marcella forSpelman's Parents Campaign for theAnnual Fund, were among the manyfamilies that converged on thecampus for FamilyWeekend 2000 held inFebruary. Family Weekendis an annual eventthat invites families toshare and participate inthe Spelman experiencewith their daughters. Theinteractive weekend, providesfamilies an opportunityto see the College from severalaspects, and to gainknowledge of current events,issues and concerns presentin the life of the College. Highlightsof the weekend includedthe Celebration in Black, thePresidential Reception and theFamily Feast.SpelmanSPELMAN COLLEGE350 Spelman Lane S.W.Atlanta, Georgia 30314Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDAtlanta, GeorgiaPermit No. 1569Address Service Requested