Briefs

LOCAL & VCU

VCU professors honored by science association

Two VCU professors have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Sarah Spiegel, chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the VCU School of Medicine, was recognized for her discovery of a potent lipid mediator with important roles in cancer, inflammation and allergy.

Audrey Smedley, professor emeritus of anthropology with a joint appointment in African-American studies, was recognized for her contributions to anthropology and the history of race and race relations in the United States.

Spiegel and Smedley were among 486 individuals honored by the AAAS on the basis of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science and its applications.

The new fellows, announced in the Dec. 19 issue of the journal Science, will be recognized in February during the AAAS annual meeting in Chicago.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

VCU business school dean to leave post

Michael Sesnowitz will step down as dean of VCU’s School of Business. Sesnowitz, dean since July 2000, will remain at VCU as an economics professor.

In a note he sent to faculty at the start of the fall semester, Sesnowitz said he had intended to serve as dean for only about five years.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

VCU to offer new doctoral program

VCU will offer a new doctoral program in the fall that will focus on the social, biological and behavioral factors that affect health.

Student researchers will explore “classic public health issues” that help or inhibit people from maintaining their health, said Laura Siminoff, chair of VCU’s social and behavioral health department.

The State Council on Higher Education approved the doctorate in social and behavioral health this week for Virginia. It brings VCU a step closer to establishing its new School of Public Health. But for now, Siminoff’s department is part of the School of Medicine.

The department has brought in $8 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health since it was established two years ago, Siminoff said.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Teachers honored by VCU

Forty-three Richmond-area teachers were honored Jan. 6 by VCU for achieving certification from the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards.

The teachers received pins from their school superintendents to recognize their certification, a yearlong, voluntary professional-development process.

The Metropolitan Educational Training Alliance, the VCU School of Education and a partnership of Richmond-area schools sponsored the pinning ceremony at the Singleton Center for the Performing Arts.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Text glitches mar monthly VCU emergency test

VCU is checking into a problem that occurred during a Jan. 7 monthly test of its emergency communications system.

Some text messages that were sent out to alert members of the university community about the test were blank, the school said. The school said the correct message was sent to everyone, but some subscribers received blank messages in addition to the correct message.

The monthly exercises, which feature one-minute tests of the emergency siren systems on both of the downtown Richmond school’s campuses, are designed to make sure VCU’s emergency notification system is in working order.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Cuts span education system

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in education cuts Dec. 17.

Virginia’s four-year colleges and universities would see their 2010 base budgets cut 15 percent under the proposal, though Kaine’s plan would add $26 million for need-based financial aid for college students.

Under the 15 percent reduction, VCU faces a loss of about $30.3 million; the University of Virginia, $23 million; and the College of William and Mary, about $7.3 million.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch