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Just before his 71st birthday in the summer of 1982, Van Rensselaer Potter, Hilldale Professor of Oncology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, officially retired. During his career, Potter had distinguished himself in the field of cancer research and accumulated numerous accolades for his work, including the American Cancer Society's Medal of Honor in 1986. He also had coined the term "bioethics," referring to "the equitable application of medical and biological knowledge to assuring the s

In the coming year, biotechnology companies will continue to confront an unstable business climate, characterized by volatile financing markets and an unpredictable regulatory environment, according to a recent report on the industry's future. Company heads also say that biotechnology faces an added degree of instability injected into its plans by the prospect of change in Washington. Industry leaders are responding to these factors by using a number of tactics to "accelerate commercialization

Administrative Positions Date: November 9, 1992 From congressional scrutiny of universities' indirect costs to public concerns over biohazards and the ethics of animal studies, issues surrounding sponsored academic research have been dominating the headlines recently. For universities and research institutions around the United States, that means their job is getting harder, as government agencies, legislators, and even the schools themselves surround the research process with an increasingly

A recent federal court copyright decision should help protect the publishers of scientific and technical journals, according to those involved in the case and other observers. The court's decision in American Geophysical Union, et al. v. Texaco Inc., a test case brought by a group of academic publishers, mandates that permission fees be paid for photocopying done by research scientists in profit-making settings--revenues to which the publishers have long felt entitled. The case will result in

New Interest in Nubia The Right Stuff The Next Best Thing To Being There Thanks, But No Thanks Disaster Education Collaborative Measures Don't Bring Marshmallows The University of Pennsylvania's University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology's newest exhibition is a collection of artifacts from ancient Nubia, an African civilization that thrived from 3100 B.C. to 400 A.D. and was Egypt's political rival. The exhibit, which opened October 10 and runs to Oct. 3, 1993, has become the m

A report from the National Research Council outlining an agenda for the future of computer science has attracted stinging comments from nearly 1,000 computer scientists, including some of the major names in the field. The critics say the report completely ignores large areas of computer science, such as artificial intelligence (AI). They are calling for the document to be withdrawn and revised. On September 4, the detractors sent a petition to the E-mail message boards of the United States' la

Academic science in the United States is in for some rough times from the government, according to the newly appointed president of the Association of American Universities (AAU). "This is a time of challenge, perhaps more than we've seen in several decades--when major research universities are acting under some duress and, perhaps, when some science in the U.S. has come somewhat into question," says Cornelius J. Pings, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University o

The act, they contend, will not deter violence by zealots Scientists whose labs and offices have been victimized by the arson, burglary, and property damage of animal rights activists insist that a new law, the Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992, will not end the long string of violence. The legislation, signed two months ago by President Bush, adds vandalism of animal research labs, or "animal enterprise terrorism," according to the law, to federal criminal statutes. The Department o

Two months after Andrew unleashed its devastating fury, scientists continue to assess the damage the storm caused to their lives and laboratory endeavors Eight weeks have passed since Hurricane Andrew cut its devastating swath across South Florida, and public officials are still in the process of assessing the damage its winds and waves wrought in terms of fatalities, property loss, and shattered human lives. Scientists working and living in Andrew's path were by no means spared, for the ra

Although Clinton and Bush disagree on the details, both candidates support increased efforts in R&D As the United States presidential campaign heads into its final stages, President George Bush and Democratic challenger Gov. Bill Clinton are maneuvering for the political high ground on the subject of high tech--particularly technology-driv-en approaches to bolstering the nation's economy and global competitiveness. Both candidates occasionally have addressed issues of federal support for bas

The Association of Neurosciences Departments and Programs (ANDP) will have a new president, James E. Blankenship, in November. Blankenship is the associate dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, and a professor of anatomy and neurosciences and of physiology and biophysics in UTMB's Marine Biomedical Institute. ANDP, which as yet has no permanent location, is an organization of neuroscience departments from 130 United S

The 44-year-old Morris Animal Foundation is one of the few granting agencies in the United States to which researchers investigating animal medicine can turn for funding support. The group's new executive director, Robert Hilsenroth, says he hopes that under his leadership, the foundation not only will make significant gains in public awareness, but also will increase the size of its endowment. Hilsenroth, a veterinarian in Denver who sold his private practice 2 1/2 months ago, says he is th