In the News

“In the News” features a sampling of faculty, staff and administrators who have been quoted in newspaper or magazine articles or have been interviewed on television or radio. To obtain a copy of the clipping packet from which the ”In the News” items are collected, contact the Office of News and Media Relations, (713) 348-6774.

The Wall Street Journal
An article discussed the difficulties MBA career-management directors are having this year. Peter Veruki, executive director of career planning and admissions at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, commented that ”some deans want rainmakers in these jobs who can bring in 50 new recruiting companies. In this economic climate, that’s as hard as creating deals on Wall Street.” Veruki also commented on the Jones School’s alumni network.

Los Angeles Times
An article about the role played by oil in the current U.S. stance against Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq quoted extensively a report done by Amy Jaffe, senior energy adviser at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. The report estimates that the surplus of production capacity in OPEC countries is down to two million barrels a day. During the Gulf War, the surplus had been at five million barrels a day.

Boston Globe
An article discussed some of the security issues and restrictions being forced on scientists who do antiterrorism research. James Tour, the Chao Professor of Chemistry and professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and of computer science, commented that ”It’s like drinking out of a fire hose.” The article mentioned that Tour’s research has been sponsored by the defense establishment and many other government agencies.

USA Today
An article discussed the accounting problems of AOL in its booking of ad revenue. Bala Dharan, the J. Howard Creekmore Professor of Management at the Jones School, commenting on some of AOL’s practices, said that ”in my opinion, all of them were much more aggressive than most companies would have been and were motivated by needing to meet targets.” Dharan added that the SEC might not be interested in looking at every company’s strategic intention.

Toronto Globe and Mail
In an article that discussed a scholarly work on teenagers’ use of the word ”like,” Nancy Niedzielski, assistant professor of linguistics, commented that linguists are not horrified by the defense of ”like” made by the author of the study. Niedzielski commented that ”linguists tend to be much less prescriptive than other people who look at language.”

Wired
An article discussed various ways that nanotechnology might be able to benefit the environment. Kevin Ausman, executive director of the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, likened the current level of development in the field to that in the field of polymers and plastics in the 1930s, adding that the plastics industry had quickly expanded, providing the materials for a large portion of manufactured goods.
An article described a security technique that uses a hardware token that authorizes the person holding it to use a particular computer and encryption software that locks and unlocks files on a computer. The user wears the token in the form of a watch or a piece of jewelry. Dan Wallach, assistant professor of computer science and in electrical and computer engineering, commented that ”the main advantage here is the focus on usability making the security happen where the user doesn’t even notice it.”

Charlotte Observer
In an article about the growing interest in book clubs, Elizabeth Long, associate professor of sociology and author of a book on reading clubs, commented that ”there’s a compelling need for people to connect, I think — to interact with others at a level that most everyday interactions don’t give you. And talking about books can do that.”

Fox News Channel
In a story about the primary election in Florida, Earl Black, the Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Political Science, commented that the numbers at the polls were expected to be low because of the problems in the presidential election. Black also commented that the Bush campaign did not want Bill McBride to win the Democratic nomination because he is strong at raising money.

KTRH-AM
In a story about President Bush addressing the United Nations on the subject of Iraq, Richard Stoll, professor of political science, spoke about the use of force.