In Brief: November-December 2001

C. Merrill Ambler Jr. '64 has given $1.57 million to improve Duke's outdoor tennis courts and house them in a new stadium. Ambler, a tennis enthusiast and former Duke baseball player, said he wanted to give Duke's nationally ranked men's and women's tennis teams a "nice place to play." In February, Ambler, who lives in Abington, Pennsylvania, gave the university Amico Island, located at the confluence of Rancocas Creek and the Delaware River. He stipulated that its value, combined with his additional gifts of cash, be used for the project--which will include seating for 700, lights, new restrooms, and sound and electronic systems. The six existing courts will be resurfaced, lighted, and extended to comply with NCAA tournament specifications. Work should be completed in time for the 2002 outdoor season.

Ralph Snyderman, chancellor for health affairs at Duke and president and CEO of Duke University Health System, was named chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges. He has been an executive committee member of its Council of Deans for two years. He succeeds George F. Sheldon, chair of the department of surgery at the University of North Carolina's medical school.

James T. "Jay" Hamilton, Oscar L. Tang Associate Professor of Public Policy Studies and associate professor of economics and political science, received the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. The Kershaw recognizes individuals under forty who have made distinguished contributions to the field of public policy analysis. Hamilton's research focuses on the political economy of environmental regulation and a pioneering application of the same conceptual framework to studying media policies, particularly related to television violence.