Articles by Steven Benowitz

Sidebar: 1997's Roll Call of Honor As colleges and universities the world over honored their graduates in commencement ceremonies this spring, many also chose to celebrate the work of noted scientists by presenting them with honorary degrees. Among the researchers accepting such honors were a former surgeon general of the United States, the "father" of the birth control pill, and a victim of a Unabomber attack. Some distinguished scientists were further honored by being asked to speak at gradua

Following is a partial listing of scientists given honorary degrees at North American colleges and universities this spring: Bates College, Lewiston, Maine: Jane Lubchenco, Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Zoology, Oregon State University, Cornwallis Binghamton University, State University of New York: Arnold J. Levine, Harry C. Weiss Professor and chairman, department of molecular biology, Princeton University Brown University: Leo Esaki, president, University of Tsukuba, Japan; recipien

Editor's Note: Biologist M.R.C. Greenwood has had a banner year. Last July, she was named chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz. A short time later, she was selected to serve on the National Science Board and was voted president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Greenwood 's new positions allow her to continue being involved in national science policy, a role she has been in since she served as associate director for science in the Office

Sidebar: National Medal of Technology Goes To Biomedical Computing Pioneer, Four Others Two pioneering molecular biologists-including a Nobel laureate-were among nine researchers named in April to receive the 1997 National Medal of Science, the United States government's highest honor for scientific achievement. The honorees, who represent a wide range of disciplines, include an astrophysicist who helped elucidate the origin of the stars, a chemist who help lay the groundwork for understanding

The inventor of the whole-body CT scanner, who also pioneered the development of automated chromosome analysis for prenatal diagnosis, is among the five recipients of the 1997 National Medal of Technology. The award, according to a statement by the United States Department of Commerce, "recognizes individuals and corporations whose leadership and innovation have made significant contributions to the nation by creating jobs, strengthening its competitive position, and advanced our standard of li

A recent legal flap that may force the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to open the proceedings of its advisory committees to public scrutiny has focused the attention of researchers and government officials on how advisory panels produce reports. NAS-through its operating arm, the National Research Council (NRC)-is frequently called on to give status reports on various scientific and medical issues and policies, as are advisory panels convened by other agencies. The resulting reports frequen

Sidebar: Some Organizations and Programs That Support New Investigators When it comes to funding, young researchers with minimal track records face a catch-22: They have problems getting funded without preliminary data on which to base their research, yet they lack the money to do that preliminary work. Several programs aim to remedy the situation by providing grants to help new investigators get started. The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, as well as several

Behavioral Science Track Award for Rapid Transition (B/START) Mary Ellen Oliveri, Chief Behavioral, Cognitive and Social Sciences Research Branch National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 11C-16, Rockville, Md. 20857 (301) 443-3942 - Fax: (301) 443-4822 E-mail: moliveri@nih.gov Web site: http://www.nih.nimh.gov First Independent Research Support and Transition Award (FIRST) Office of Extramural Research Office of the Director 6701 Rockledge Dr.,

Following fiscal year 1998 congressional appropriations hearings, a budget of about $185 million has been proposed for the Department of Commerce's Advanced Technology Program (ATP), slightly less than the Clinton administration's proposed figure of $275 million. While no one can be sure what the final budget appropriation will be, some observers see the amount as evidence of new bipartisan support for the program, which for the past two years has been dubbed "corporate welfare" and marked for

'EMOTIONAL ISSUES': Allegheny University’s Suzanne Ildstad is not surprised by the vigorous debate over xenotransplantation guidelines. Scientists are weighing in heavily with comments-both favorable and unfavorable-about the Public Health Service's (PHS's) draft guidelines for xenotransplantation, or transplantation of cells, tissue, or organs across species. While many researchers see the guidelines as a sound beginning to regulate a new field, some say they don't go far enough to prot

GREAT EXPENSE: Pittsburgh’s Bernard Fisher says that the government’s misconduct investigation against him cost too much. As renowned University of Pittsburgh cancer surgeon Bernard Fisher regroups after being cleared of misconduct in a highly publicized case, many observers are viewing the affair as a warning that the scientific community and the public need better ways of monitoring research activities. Fisher, cleared earlier this month of any wrongdoing, has filed a lawsuit ag

Sidebars: National Institutes of Health : Summary of Appropriations Research and Development Intestments Federal science and technology agencies are holding their own in President Clinton's recently proposed fiscal year 1998 budget, which allocates $75.5 billion-a 2.2 percent increase-to government-sponsored R&D. The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation are slated to receive modest overall increases, approximately 2.6 percent and 3 percent, respectively. As the

Institute, Center, or DivisionFY1997FY1998 Estimate National Cancer Institute $2,156,416 $2,217,482 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Inst. 1,370,952 1,404,770 National Institute of Dental Research 182,893 190,081 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 802,889 821,164 National Insitute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 701,582 722,712 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 608,950 634,272 National Institute of General Medical Sciences 970,749 9

"Physicians will not be able to practice medicine in the next century without computers. Individual hospitals and medical centers will have their own intranets, as will health care systems." Robert Trelstad,Professor and Chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. THE TIME FACTOR: Southwestern’s M. David Low says medical school faculty may worry about development time for computer-based instruction. Most physicians and educators agree that computer

Sidebar: Information on Minority Access to Research Careers In the United States, there are more than 100 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In the late 1860s, these institutions were designated by the federal government to educate African Americans as a result of a segregated educational system in the South. Science administrators at the majority of these schools view their mission differently from their counterparts at majority U.S. institutions. Rather than focus their eff