Mereja

Author: tellis

  • Professor Dennis Sullivan Awarded Wolf Prize in Mathematics

    Dennis Sullivan, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the Graduate Center, has won the prestigious Wolf Prize for his innovative work in algebraic topology and conformal dynamics. He will share the $100,000 prize in mathematics with Professor Sing-Tung Yau, of Harvard University, who was recognized for his work in geometric analysis.


    Five other renowned scientists were named as Wolf Prize-winners in the fields of medicine, physics, and agriculture. The prizes, which were announced in Jerusalem, are to be presented in May by Israeli President Shimon Peres during a special session of the Knesset.


    This is the latest of many honors for Professor Sullivan, who holds the Albert Einstein Chair in Science at the Graduate Center and also serves on the mathematics faculty at SUNY Stony Brook. He was awarded the National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest scientific honor, in 2004; the King Faisal International Prize in Science, in 1993; the Elie Cartan Prix en Geometrie from the French Academy of Sciences, in 1981; the Oswald Veblen Prize in Geometry from the American Mathematical Society, in 1971; and the New York City Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Science and Technology, in 1997.


    In 1991, Professor Sullivan was named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and of the New York Academy of Sciences, and is a former Vice President of the American Mathematical Society.


    Before coming to the Graduate Center, Professor Sullivan held positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California at Berkeley, and Princeton University, and he had a long research association (1973-1996) with the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifique outside Paris. He received his B.A. from Rice University and a Ph.D. from Princeton.


    This year’s other Wolf Prize-winners are: Professor Axel Ullrich of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, for cancer research that led to the development of Receptin and other drugs to treat breast cancer; and Sir David Baulcombe of Cambridge University, Great Britain, for demonstrating how plants defend themselves against viral attack through a mechanism known as “gene silencing.” The prize in physics was shared by John F. Clauser, of J.F. Clauser & Associates, in the U.S.; Professor Alain Aspect of France’s École Normale Supérieure de Cachan; and Professor Anton Zeilinger of the University of Vienna. They were honored for “fundamental conceptual and experimental contributions to the foundations of quantum physics.”


    The Wolf Prizes have been awarded since 1978 by the Israel-based Wolf Foundation to recognize “achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among peoples, irrespective of nationality, race, color, religion, sex, or political view.” They were established by the late German-born inventor, diplomat and philanthropist Dr. Ricardo Wolf, who served as the Cuban ambassador to Israel from 1961 to 1973.


    The Graduate Center is devoted primarily to doctoral studies and awards most of the City University of New York’s Ph.D.s. An internationally recognized center for advanced studies and a national model for public doctoral education, the school offers more than thirty doctoral programs as well as a number of master’s programs. Many of its faculty members are among the world’s leading scholars in their respective fields, and its alumni hold major positions in industry and government, as well as in academia. The Graduate Center is also home to more than thirty interdisciplinary research centers and institutes focused on areas of compelling social, civic, cultural, and scientific concerns.  Located in a landmark Fifth Avenue building, the Graduate Center has become a vital part of New York City’s intellectual and cultural life with its extensive array of public lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and theatrical events.  Further information on the Graduate Center and its programs can be found at www.gc.cuny.edu.


    MEDIA CONTACT: David Manning (212) 817-7177 or 7170, [email protected]

  • Pipeline to a Ph.D. for Underserved Minorities

    Aspiring Ph.D.s Present Research at Annual Pipeline Conference

    Two hundred aspiring scholars from undergraduate CUNY campuses will present their research at the 13th Annual CUNY Pipeline Conference on Friday, February 19. The Pipeline program is aimed at encouraging City University of New York students from underserved minorities to enter doctoral programs and, eventually, the academy as professors. The conference culminates a year-long program that provides educational and financial support for the academically gifted students. The conference will be held from 8 am to 6 pm on the Concourse Level at the CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, at 34th Street.

    The CUNY Pipeline Program is an honors colloquium established in 1992 to help prepare undergraduate minority students from CUNY’s campuses to become scholars. During the summer, between their junior and senior years, students selected for the program are invited to participate in one of three institutes: Math and Science, Humanities, and Social Science at the CUNY Graduate Center. For six weeks, Monday through Thursday, fellows study math, science, humanities or social science, during the morning hours, with CUNY faculty members who are also directors of the institutes. Several afternoon workshops—Graduate Record Exam (GRE) preparation, Critical Thinking, Social Science Methodology, Math, and Introduction to Graduate School—supplement the morning seminars.

    Fellows learn to identify graduate programs that are best suited to their disciplines and interests, how to apply to these programs, to identify financial sources for graduate school, and how to prepare their personal statements and curriculum vitae. Additionally, fellows begin their research for the culminating conference during the six-week summer internship and continue to develop their work with their mentors over the fall and spring.  Their final thesis is presented to the Pipeline Program Coordinator at the end of May.  Fellows are rewarded for their hard work with a final stipend and a recognition ceremony after their graduation.

    The CUNY Pipeline also provides funding for up to ten graduate school applications and the Graduate Record Examination for each fellow. Fellows are not allowed to engage in work activities during the six-week summer internship. Instead, they receive a stipend to offset their expenses.

    This year, for the first time, students from all CUNY campuses will present their work at the annual conference. For many of the students, this is their first public presentation.

    For more information on the program, visit http://web.gc.cuny.edu/oeodp

    MEDIA CONTACT: David Manning (212) 817-7177 or 7170, [email protected]

  • NEW MAPPING WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES TO ACCURATE 2010 CENSUS IN HARD-TO-COUNT AREAS

    Interactive Maps Help Guide Outreach Strategies in Support of Full Count; Academia, Nonprofits, Business & Philanthropy Join Forces on Project

    Community groups and local governments working to boost census response in historically hard-to-count neighborhoods will be able to target their efforts with a new web-based, interactive mapping site unveiled today by the City University of New York (CUNY) Mapping Service at the Center for Urban Research, CUNY Graduate Center.  The Census 2010 Hard-To-Count Interactive Map (www.CensusHardToCountMaps.org) not only pinpoints census tracts that the U.S. Census Bureau considers difficult to enumerate, it also displays the detailed demographic and housing characteristics that the Census Bureau believes will create challenges to achieving an accurate count in certain communities, allowing census advocates to tailor their activities and messages to address specific barriers, such as language difficulties or low educational attainment.

                “This web site will help groups promoting 2010 census participation across the nation get the biggest bang for their buck by focusing precisely on the communities that will be hardest to count,” said Steven Romalewski, director of the CUNY Mapping Service.  “The tool will also help these advocates communicate effectively with people in hard-to-count areas because the maps reveal why each location will likely face enumeration challenges.”  Mr. Romalewski pointed to language barriers, large numbers of renters, high poverty rates, and a prevalence of non-traditional households as some of the characteristics — alone or in combination — that the Census Bureau’s research indicates will contribute to a difficult environment for the census.  “The website provides visual evidence of those challenges with powerful maps and interactive data,” he noted.

    The project’s development represents an effective partnership between academia, business, nonprofits, and the philanthropic community.  The mapping site was made possible by a grant from the Long Island-based Hagedorn Foundation and is supported by the Funders Census Initiative (FCI), a unique and unprecedented ad hoc coalition of foundations and philanthropic affinity groups interested in a fair and accurate census.  “The decennial U.S. Census provides data that are critical to the welfare and equity of American society, and therefore to the philanthropic community,” said Hagedorn Foundation Executive Director Darren Sandow. “Without special efforts to reach the most vulnerable, hardest to count residents, millions of our neighbors will lose essential human services as well as political representation.  That’s why we’re supporting this extraordinarily sophisticated resource.”

    The Leadership Conference Education Fund (www.civilrights.org), which is leading a national campaign in support of the 2010 census, is producing a video tutorial to help guide users through the site’s features.  The Leadership Conference is among dozens of nonprofits that have tested a beta version of the mapping tool and offered feedback to the development team.  “The census is a critical tool for protecting the civil rights of every person living in the United States, from the drawing of fair voting districts to the enforcement of laws prohibiting discrimination in education, employment and housing, which is why organizations like ours and our national and community-based partners have a real stake in ensuring no one is left out of the census,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference Education Fund. “The CUNY interactive maps will be invaluable tools as we reach out to those communities, disproportionately minority and low-income, most at risk of being missed.”

    The site incorporates Google Maps©; Google provided technical advice and access to server resources, in anticipation of heavy use among state and local governments and grassroots organizations working to boost census participation this year.

                The mapping tool is based on the Census Bureau’s Tract Level Planning Database (http://2010.census.gov/partners/research/), which identified twelve population and housing characteristics associated with low mail response in the 2000 census.  In addition to showing these characteristics within hard-to-count census tracts, the database shows tracts with low 2000 census mail return rates and high foreclosure risk.  Site users can view hard-to-count census tracts within states, counties, metro areas, cities, and Tribal lands, as well as congressional districts and ZIP Codes.  Location-specific links to the Census Bureau’s web site allows users to access demographic and economic profiles of each area, including racial and ethnic composition, from either the 2000 census or American Community Survey (which replaced the census long form starting in 2005).

     

    The Graduate Center is devoted primarily to doctoral studies and awards most of the City University of New York’s Ph.D.s. An internationally recognized center for advanced studies and a national model for public doctoral education, the school offers more than thirty doctoral programs as well as a number of master’s programs. Many of its faculty members are among the world’s leading scholars in their respective fields, and its alumni hold major positions in industry and government, as well as in academia. The Graduate Center is also home to more than thirty interdisciplinary research centers and institutes focused on areas of compelling social, civic, cultural, and scientific concerns. Located in a landmark Fifth Avenue building, the Graduate Center has become a vital part of New York City’s intellectual and cultural life with its extensive array of public lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and theatrical events. Further information on the Graduate Center and its programs can be found at www.gc.cuny.edu

    MEDIA CONTACT: David Manning (212) 817-7177 or 7170, [email protected]

  • New Report Recommends How City Governments Can Reverse Childhood Obesity in NYC and London

    In the last 25 years, childhood obesity rates in London and New York City have more than doubled, threatening children’s well-being, contributing to rising rates of diabetes, and imposing a financial burden on families and government.   How can New York City and London reverse these dangerous trends? 

    To answer this question, in 2008 and 2009 researchers from City University of New York and London Metropolitan University organized meetings with health officials, other researchers and city leaders from London and New York. They analyzed childhood obesity in the two cities, compared municipal responses and recommended strategies for to bring childhood obesity under control.  

    A new report, A Tale of Two ObesCities: Comparing responses to childhood obesity in London and in New York by the City University of New York and London Metropolitan University draws on their findings and presents a comprehensive strategy for the cities to decelerate the rise of childhood obesity and related inequalities in health. The report will be released on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 from 8:30 –10:00am  at CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue 34th Street, The Skylight Room, Ninth Floor. 

    “Our report shows that while childhood obesity affects all groups, it is becoming increasingly concentrated among low income children and neighborhoods in both cities,” says Nicholas Freudenberg, Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the City University of New York School of Public Health, Hunter College, and a co-author of the report. “To bring childhood obesity under control, New York and London need to find new ways to make it easier for low income families to find healthy food and safe places for physical activity and to avoid unhealthy food.”  The report shows that both cities face common challenges such as high rates of child poverty, massive efforts to advertise unhealthy food,  many recent immigrants and limited ability to bring together the city agencies that can play a role in reducing childhood obesity.  However, both cities have launched innovative programs and can learn from each other’s successes.  

    The report recommends changes in five sectors: land use and planning; food; parks and green space; transportation; schools, and research and training.

    Recommendations include:

    • Use zoning authority, land use review and other municipal authorities to limit access to unhealthy food
    • Use zoning, tax incentives, and city owned property to increase the availability of healthy foods
    • Incorporate active design principles into building codes and housing strategies
    • Set standards for municipal purchase of food in public agencies and leverage economies of scale to promote food systems that support economic, environmental, and human health
    • Re-tool the food safety workforce to address obesity as well as food-borne diseases
    • Promote and support urban agriculture as a sustainable and health promoting use of green spaces
    • Promote access to places where people can be physically active and make walking and cycling easier and safer
    • Implement a universal free school meal program with nutritional standards
    • Provide free tap water for schools
    • Promote research that helps cities understand how to reduce health inequalities

    In response to the release of report in London on January 25, 2010, London Mayor Boris Johnson said: “A superb 2012 legacy for London would be the obliteration of childhood obesity.  We are championing effective plans across the capital to fight this and I hope that working with New York will result in leaner, fitter children and families in both our cities. I want to take on the fast food companies who mercilessly lure children into excessive calorie consumption. If schools can help create mini-farms we could cultivate a nation of enthused Jamie Oliver’s. I’m also investing millions in the sports and parks that every child in our city should have access to. A key part of my health inequalities plan is to increase access to affordable healthy alternatives.”

    Speakers at the February 10 release will include Dr. Karen Aletha Maybank,  Assistant Commissioner, Brooklyn District Public Health Office, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Professor  Eileen O’Keefe, London Metropolitan University;

    Nancy Romer, a leader of the Brooklyn Food Coalition, and (invited) City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. 

    For admission to the event register at the following url:

    https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dHF0c1lQckRkZzh2ZFhmRGhZeElIdGc6MA

    For information about the report or collaboration contact:

    Nicholas Freudenberg

    212-481-4363 

    or

    Kimberly Libman, co-author of report

    646-752-6139

    For a full copy of the report visit:  http://web.gc.cuny.edu/che/childhood_obesity.pdf