UB in the News

Elayne Rapping, professor of American studies, is quoted in an article distributed by Reuters about how Michael Jackson's death has sparked renewed interest in his albums, videos and other paraphernalia.

An article in New Scientist on a new study that help explain why some people remain famous after their talent has faded -- if they were even talented to begin with -- reports a 1991 study by William Hamlen, associate professor of finance and managerial economics, found that an objective measure of vocal harmony predicted album sales.

An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education interviews Brian Carter, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, about the school's students working on "small projects," efforts to redesign much-used public spaces, both to enliven the surroundings and to give students real training. One of the difficulties of being a young architect in America, he says, is there are too few opportunities to break into the field and show one's work. The small projects offer those opportunities.

An article distributed by CanWest News Service reports a study by Jason Briner, assistant professor of geology, has shown just how quickly the planet's massive coastal glaciers could disappear and send global sea levels surging. The article appeared in newspapers throughout Canada, including The Montreal Gazette.

An article distributed by the Associated Press reports that an exhibition of work by Salvador Dali will be presented by the UB Anderson Gallery. The article notes that 15 sketches and a silver sculpture belong to the family of the late Edmund Klein, a world-renowned skin cancer researcher and research professor in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences who treated the Spanish surrealist for nearly a decade. The article appeared in hundreds of news outlets throughout the world, including USA Today, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

An article on the Reuters "Entertainment behind the scenes" blog about the growing popularity of vampires in the movies and television quotes Elayne Rapping, professor of American studies, who said the latest vampire hits are more like soap operas and are very complex in their portrayal of characters and relationships.

An article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Bloomsday celebrations in that city reports that much of the Joycean world headed to Buffalo over the weekend for the North American James Joyce Conference at UB, and notes that UB holds one of the largest collections of Joycean papers and memorabilia in the world.

A story on ABC News about the death of a 14-year-old boy with ADHD who was taking prescription drugs to manage his symptoms quotes William Pelham, professor of psychology, pediatrics and psychiatry, who called the number of children being prescribed the drugs "astonishing."

Joshua Dyck, assistant professor of political science, is quoted in an article in the Wilmington News Journal about a local conservative group that is organizing to protest against the Democratic administrations in Washington DC and the State of Delaware.

An article distributed by HealthDay reports efforts to help people quit smoking vary from state to state, and quotes Gary Giovino, professor and chair of health behavior, who says while there are areas of progress, there also are some areas where we are not doing so well.