February 1, 1999
Volume 51, No. 18

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAMPUS NEWS Traffic debate around Emory about to get congested as MARTA readies to release report New York Times' Altman delivers Future Makers lecture First person: Morse says to look closer to home to find Y2K problems Saving babies goal of Donna Carson's Project Prevent Women talking with women: what's race got to do with it? Emory observes African American Heritage Month Author Virginia Valian examines women's progress at Feb. 4 lecture Issues in Progress: Faculty Council Vagina Monologues: soliloquies on that most private part Public Health offers web-based master's degree The information superhighway will serve as the classroom for much of the coursework being offered in a new master's degree from the School of Public Health. More than half of the instruction, assignments and exams for the Career Master of Public Health will be conducted online, said CMPH coordinator Peggy Hines. The school chose the nontraditional format to suit a specific group of potential students: professionals with five to 10 years of experience in public health-related fields who will continue to work full time while pursuing the degree. The 42-credit hour program is designed to be completed in about two-and-a-half years. Students will be required to visit the Emory campus only twice a semester for long-weekend sessions designed to orient them to new ideas, provide interaction with classmates and afford networking opportunities with faculty and other health public professionals. Between the two on-campus sessions, students will receive all instruction and complete all homework and tests using "Elearn," the school's web-based learning environment. The new CMPH degree compliments the school's Graduate Certificate program, a distance-learning initiative funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information contact Hines at 404-727-3358 or send e-mail to <mhines2@ sph.emory.edu>. Submit your theme ideas for Staff Fest 1999 The Staff Fest Planning Committee wants your theme suggestions for Staff Fest 1999, scheduled for Friday, May 14. Submitted themes should emphasize the value of Emory's employees and the festivity of the occasion. You can e-mail your entries to <jmccart@ emory.edu> or send via interoffice mail to Julianne McCarty, 1762 Clifton Road, Room 306B. Please include name, department and phone number on each entry. The deadline for theme ideas is Friday, Feb. 5. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate.

SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH Spitulnik keeps Bemba language alive on the web Two Yerkes researchers focus on myopia in monkeys Emory named research center for sight disorders The Foundation Fighting Blindness recently designated the Emory Eye Center as one of 13 national research centers for retinal degenerations, resulting in more than $100,000 for each of the next five years for research into the cause, prevention and treatment of such disorders. Retinal degenerations, including macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, are sight-stealing disorders that affect the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. "The foundation's grant will help to further and formalize the research that we have been conducting at Emory for the past few years," said Paul Sternberg, director of the Eye Center's retina section and of the new research center. "Our designation as a national research center is a vote of confidence for the strength of our scientists and clinicians and the merit of our work."   Emory conducting study of employee benefits program As part of an ongoing effort to ensure that benefits are cost-effective and responsive to employee needs, Emory has undertaken a study focusing on health care and related programs. Human Resources will conduct focus groups this month with participants randomly selected from all departments and locations. The sessions will include about 12 to 15 people and should last no longer than an hour and a half. Designated employees will receive a letter indicating the time, date and location of their meeting. "Our goal is to determine how well the programs are working for employees today, and then develop a benefit package that will provide continued value," said Alice Miller, vice president for HR. Assisting in this process is Aon Consulting, an independent benefits consulting firm. "Participants can be assured of complete confidentiality," Miller emphasized. "Our consultants will report only general findings, not individual comments." Supervisors and managers also will have a "voice" in the study. A representative number will be asked to meet with the consultants in individual interviews and small group sessions over the next few weeks. Once the study is complete, employees can expect a report of findings in a future issue of Emory Report.