Sep - Oct 2008 Issue

Robert L. Clark, a longtime member of the Pratt School of Engineering faculty, has been named dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Rochester.

Stepping into Rachel Davies' office, one is immediately struck by the number of books lining her walls. It seems only fitting that the architect behind the DukeReads program, an online book club for alumni, would leave her office décor up to Shakespeare and Steinbeck.

 In 2006, when Duke Magazine checked in with the law school's Guantánamo Defense Clinic, students were busily researching and filing briefs and generally providing assistance to the Defense Department's O

Run, Terry, Run: supporters in Miami. Duke University Archives

Accentuate the positive: Casper with Emote "Super," for super confident. Courtesy Matt Casper

 Some lucky writers stumble upon a soldier's diary from the Civil War or an intriguing love letter in their grandparents' attic, and their stories just seem to unfold from there.

Three new members joined Duke's board of trustees in July, one as a full member and two as young trustees.

Young dancers gather at the Ark on East Campus. Michael Zirkle

Julie Nicholis / Corbis

In the U.S. automotive industry, fuel efficiency is almost always reported in terms of miles per gallon.

Evolving dance: Garba can be traditional and religious or modern and secular.

How could you not be awestruck by Clay Felker? I was when I first met him, twenty-five years ago, in his Upper East Side apartment. Visitors would descend into a sunken living room that was lined with beautifully printed art books, inhabited by messy piles of periodicals, and filled with his gravelly voice—surely the voice of authority.

Duke's Career Center and financial-aid office are both undergoing changes in leadership.Administrators recently announced the hiring of Alison Rabil as assistant vice provost and director of financial aid. Rabil, who currently serves as financial-aid director at Barnard College, will assume her new post on November 1. She succeeds Jim Belvin, Duke's director of financial aid for thirty-two years.

Megan Morr

First sura (section), Arabic MS 23, Qur'an, Harar, Ethiopia, 18th century.

 

Bloomsbury coterie: Lady Ottoline Morrell, Maria Huxley, Lytton Strachey, Duncan Grant, and Vanessa Bell, from left.

The Census Bureau believes nearly 82,000 Americans are 100 years of age or older. But only one of them played major-league baseball. And he's not about to act his age.

 At a symposium hosted last year by Columbia University's library system, Steven Bell, a librarian from Temple University, took a controversial stand.In a public debate before an audience made up almost entirely of reference librarians, Bell argued for the abolition of the reference desk by the year 2012.

Members of Duke's Class of 2012 reflect the university's increasing international presence and its broad appeal to young achievers. It is the most geographically diverse group of undergraduate students ever. As has been the case for years, the most-represented states are North Carolina, California, and New York.

 The week was not going well for rasta lobsta or for its creator, Mimi A.R. Koehl.

Highest honor: Bostock—accompl

Two new studies about HIV have come out of Duke recently, both hinting at the importance of more comprehensive education and testing programs.The first concerns the potential spread of the virus in elderly populations. Regular HIV testing has traditionally been recommended for young people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, recommends HIV screening only for patients ages thirteen to sixty-four.

Untitled (Perseus and Andromeda), 1964, Bob Thompson, United States. Gouache on rag paper. 10 3⁄8 x 10 7⁄8 inches. Gift of Paula Cooper in memory of Raymond D. Nasher '43.

 Science can sometimes be intimidating. William Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, hopes to change that.Earlier this year, he launched a blog, hosted by the Nicholas School's website, where he discusses current environmental-policy news, shares fun facts, and offers tips for living a greener lifestyle.

Freshening up: Salt water begins desalination process in plant south of Tel Aviv, Israel.

Left-hand man: Love keeps boss Barack Obama on task.

Raoul Manuel Schnell

Since its inception in 2005, YouTube, a website that allows users to easily upload and share original videos, has grown rapidly in popularity.

Oscar Hijuelos. Credit: Megan Morr

In the 1970s, British feminist scholars contended that almost all films were dominated by the "male gaze," with camera angles calculated to "fetishize the female body." Negar Mottahedeh, an assistant professor of literature who has studied the history of Iranian film, argues in a new book due out in November that the country's post-1979 theocratic government unintentionally succeeded in turning that convention on its head.

Thrust and parry: Ward fights a losing battle against teammate M

Microscopic robots crafted to maneuver separately without any obvious guidance are now assembling into self-organized structures after years of continuing research led by a Duke computer scientist."It's marvelous to be able to do assembly and control at this fine a resolution with such very, very tiny things," says Bruce Donald, professor of computer science and biochemistry.

Visuals Unlimited / Corbis

Christopher Zacharow

 

George L. McLendon, who became dean of the faculty of Arts & Sciences in July 2004, has been appointed to a second five-year term. At the same time, he has also been named dean of Trinity College, succeeding Robert J. Thompson Jr., who stepped down June 30 after nine years in the position to return to teaching.

Courtyard convergence: Students break into groups at Hoa An Secondary School. Peter Lemieux

Miller: Alumni scholar follows in father's footsteps. Megan Morr

Diane Daniel

Felker's milieu: The renowned editor, shown at Village Voice offi