News Briefs

BUDGET OUTLOOK BRIGHTENS

Provost John Etchemendy presented the Faculty Senate in May with a 2011 budget outline indicating a hopeful rebound from the sharp cutbacks of 2010. But he also cautioned that his catchphrase synopsis is "Don't count your chickens," because the lesson of recent years is that "things can change at any moment."

The fiscal 2011 consolidated budget (which excludes the hospitals and construction expenditures) shows a projected surplus of more than $85 million on $3.8 billion in revenues. And the general funds portion of the budget, which supports most faculty and staff salaries as well as other operational expenses, is expected to have a $26 million surplus while allowing for a "modest" level of merit raises.

There continues to be a shortfall in funds designated for financial aid, and the University has increased the target amount for that purpose in the Stanford Challenge to $300 million to meet future needs. "As long as we can raise the additional campaign money for financial aid, it is comfortably doable by the University," said Etchemendy, PhD '82.

MED SCHOOL RECEIVES $12.8 MILLION

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) will give the School of Medicine $12.8 million over five years to establish a Center for Cancer Systems Biology, which will apply computational modeling to cancer research. Sylvia Plevritis, MS '86, PhD '92, MS '96, an associate professor (research) of radiology, will be the center's director; microbiology and immunology professor Garry Nolan, PhD '89, has been named co-director.

Plevritis and colleagues have been working toward creation of the center since 2004, when they received planning funding from NCI. Biological and computational research will focus on reconstructing molecular networks in the study of non-solid tumors, including adult myeloid leukemia.

SINCLAIR SELECTED AS BING OVERSEAS DIRECTOR

Engineering professor Robert Sinclair has been named director of the Bing Overseas Studies Program, effective September 1. He succeeds history professor Norman Naimark, '66, MA '68, PhD '72, who has held the post since 2005.

The program, which sends about 50 percent of students in each graduating class abroad, includes centers in Australia, Beijing, Berlin, Cape Town, Florence, Kyoto, Madrid, Moscow, Oxford, Paris and Santiago. The Madrid and Cape Town sites opened during Naimark's tenure.

Provost John Etchemendy presented the Faculty Senate in May with a 2011 budget outline indicating a hopeful rebound from the sharp cutbacks of 2010. But he also cautioned that his catchphrase synopsis is "Don't count your chickens," because the lesson of recent years is that "things can change at any moment."

The fiscal 2011 consolidated budget (which excludes the hospitals and construction expenditures) shows a projected surplus of more than $85 million on $3.8 billion in revenues. And the general funds portion of the budget, which supports most faculty and staff salaries as well as other operational expenses, is expected to have a $26 million surplus while allowing for a "modest" level of merit raises.

There continues to be a shortfall in funds designated for financial aid, and the University has increased the target amount for that purpose in the Stanford Challenge to $300 million to meet future needs. "As long as we can raise the additional campaign money for financial aid, it is comfortably doable by the University," said Etchemendy, PhD '82.

MED SCHOOL RECEIVES $12.8 MILLION

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) will give the School of Medicine $12.8 million over five years to establish a Center for Cancer Systems Biology, which will apply computational modeling to cancer research. Sylvia Plevritis, MS '86, PhD '92, MS '96, an associate professor (research) of radiology, will be the center's director; microbiology and immunology professor Garry Nolan, PhD '89, has been named co-director.

Plevritis and colleagues have been working toward creation of the center since 2004, when they received planning funding from NCI. Biological and computational research will focus on reconstructing molecular networks in the study of non-solid tumors, including adult myeloid leukemia.

SINCLAIR SELECTED AS BING OVERSEAS DIRECTOR

Engineering professor Robert Sinclair has been named director of the Bing Overseas Studies Program, effective September 1. He succeeds history professor Norman Naimark, '66, MA '68, PhD '72, who has held the post since 2005.

The program, which sends about 50 percent of students in each graduating class abroad, includes centers in Australia, Beijing, Berlin, Cape Town, Florence, Kyoto, Madrid, Moscow, Oxford, Paris and Santiago. The Madrid and Cape Town sites opened during Naimark's tenure.