When Vaccines Go Bad
The widely used tuberculosis vaccine may no longer be effective. The vaccine contains live bacteria that stimulate a protective reaction from the immune system. Peter M. Small, assistant professor of medicine, and his colleagues have found that the bacteria being used now are missing genes that were present in the original. The doctors believe natural mutations may be to blame. The discovery could guide the development of an up-to-date vaccine as well as a more accurate diagnostic test for the disease.
An Institute to Celebrate Artistic Diversity
The arts are blooming on campus. First, the renovated museum opened. Now, the University has been selected as the home for the Institute for Diversity in California Arts. The institute, set for launch in January 2001, will host culturally diverse performance and visual artists interested in using their work as a social expression and stimulus for community discussion. It's funded with a portion of a $3.2 million grant from The James Irvine Foundation. The grant also will support a program to improve training of lawyers pursuing careers in business and government and will provide additional dollars for several existing initiatives in other departments.
A Needle Scare Close to Home
Volunteers enrolled in University research studies and patients referred by Stanford doctors were among those who had blood drawn at a SmithKline Beecham lab where investigators say a technician reused disposable needles. Elaine Giorgi, 52, of San Mateo, was fired for violating basic safety practices, and her conduct is being investigated by the district attorney's office. The company has written to patients suggesting they get tested for HIV and hepatitis, although state and county health experts say the chances of acquiring a disease during a blood draw are low. Researchers whose subjects went to the lab are reviewing their data to see if any findings were affected.
For Hillel, a New Chief Who's Not a Rabbi
Breaking from tradition, the Hillel Foundation hired a nonrabbi as its new executive director. Debra L. Feldstein, currently the director of development at the Hillel at Tufts University, begins her new job this summer. Feldstein, 31, replaces Rabbi Yoel Kahn, who is stepping down after a two-year appointment. The Hillel Foundation at Stanford, which is not associated with the University, has a staff of six and an annual budget of $500,000. There are about 2,000 Jewish students enrolled at Stanford.
Changes at the Top
Summertime -- and there's change all around. Paul Brest, who steps down as dean of the Law School on August 31, will be president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. With $2 billion in assets, the charitable foundation funds activities in education, the arts, the environment and community development. And Geoffrey Cox, vice provost and dean for institutional planning, has added "learning technology and extended education" to his title. He will develop and expand distance learning and related efforts. Curtis Feeny, executive vice president of the Stanford Management Company, assumes Cox's responsibilities for construction, facilities management and operations.
The Last Word On a Scandal
The indirect-costs controversy may finally be over. The U.S. Supreme Court in April let stand a lower court ruling that dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Stanford overbilled the federal government for the costs of research projects. Paul Biddle, a former contracting officer for the Office of Naval Research at Stanford, had tried to use the Federal False Claims Act, a whistle-blower statute, to sue the University. A federal court ruled against Biddle last year. The government had already settled with the University over the billing of expenses for federally sponsored research between 1981 and 1992.
Streamlining Faculty Grievances
In recent years, the number of faculty grievances has surged from one or two annually to as many as 14, each taking up to two years to resolve. The Faculty Senate in April approved revisions aimed at making the process shorter and clearer. Before, a grievance was heard initially by the dean and could be appealed to the provost and then again to the president, who would receive a recommendation from the Advisory Board following a hearing. Under the new process, grievances now go straight to the provost.
Shrinking Tongues for Better Sleep
Medical School researchers have figured out how to shrink the excess tissue that blocks breathing during sleep in people with obstructive sleep apnea -- a condition that keeps some 20 million Americans gasping and choking through the night. Scientists, including Nelson Powell, co-director of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Center, use radio-frequency energy to heat tissue in the base of the tongue. The body naturally absorbs the heat-damaged tissue while healing, reducing the size of the tongue and its propensity to block the airway during sleep. The nearly painless outpatient procedure takes less than 45 minutes to complete.
