Three University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty will be named Chevaliers de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in a private ceremony with the French Consul General, Jean-Baptiste de Boissière, in Madison on March 27.

Dating from 1808 under Napoleonic rule, the L’Ordre des Palmes Académiques was established to distinguish university dignitaries and recognize service in the field of education. Today it is conferred on scholars, scientists, and those in literary and artistic fields.

The three will receive the Palmes Académiques for their efforts in building and running the intercultural program Environmental Policy, Land Use and Conservation Biology in Franco-American Perspective with the support of the New York-based French American Cultural Exchange (FACE) Foundation and the Cultural and Scientific Services of the French Embassy.

The Consul General will recognize their contribution in building strong research and education ties between the UW and the French school, l’École National Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier. In just three years, 13 U.S. and 12 French graduate students have participated in the program, developing their scientific and linguistic knowledge and cultural insight. The program has included faculty exchanges as well.

Consul General de Boissière will deliver a public talk, “The New Context of the French-American Relation,” at noon on March 27 in 206 Ingraham Hall. Introducing de Boissière will be Gilles Bousquet, dean of the Division of International Studies and himself a recipient of the Palms Académiques.

Award recipients are: Read more »

Research in hybrid materials has experienced a 14% annual growth in published papers in recent years with increasing interest from a wide range of industries. This inaugural meeting aims to bring together experts from the various sub-disciplines to share current research and create an interdisciplinary forum for discussion.

Clément Sanchez, CNRS Research Director at the University of Paris VI and author of some the world’s most cited papers on hybrid materials, is one of the four conference chairs. He is enthusiastic about the future of research in this area: “Hybrid materials not only represent a creative approach to design of new materials, but their improved or unusual properties also allow the development of innovative industrial applications. This interdisciplinary research field will open a land of promising applications in many areas including optics, electronics, ionics, mechanics, energy, environment, biology, medicine. The three symposia during Hybrid Materials 2009 will cover all aspects of the chemistry, processing and applications of these advanced materials.”

Rumen Duhlev, Publisher at Elsevier and initiator of this project, believes the launch of the conference is extremely timely and fulfils a real need in providing researchers in both academia and industry with a dedicated forum for discussing advances in this interdisciplinary field: “We are really excited to collaborate with some of the world’s leading experts on hybrid materials in the creation of this unique international forum, aiming to bring together representatives of disciplines as diverse as inorganic chemistry, polymer science, biomaterials, organic chemistry, catalysis, composites and colleagues from the industry to share knowledge and accelerate progress.”

The conference is currently calling for contributions for presentation at the meeting under one of the three following symposia: Biohybrids and biomaterials; Bottom-up approaches to functional nanomaterials and nanocomposites; Functional porous materials. Abstracts should be submitted online at www.hybridmaterialsconference.com by 15 September 2008.

See Appendix - March 13, 2008

National Security Higher Education Advisory Board Concludes February Meeting

The National Security Higher Education Advisory Board (NSHEAB), comprised of 20 university presidents and chancellors, met on February 5, 2008 at FBI Headquarters. The NSHEAB, which was created in 2005 by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, meets regularly to discuss national security matters that intersect with higher education. Chaired by Graham Spanier, president of The Pennsylvania State University, the NSHEAB provides a forum for open, direct dialogue between the FBI, other government agencies, and higher education.

In a recently published editorial, Spanier cited a key concern for academia as "the denial of visas to scholars who wish to visit the U.S., especially when the denial is political rather than security-related." In order to address this concern, representatives from the Department of State briefed the members on the visa issuance process. Additionally, representatives from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement provided an update on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System and anticipated expansion of government services to universities and international students.

The FBI's Cyber Division also briefed the NSHEAB on cyber intrusion trends. The FBI expressed the need for academia participation in discussions of risk management and the fundamental issues of privacy in the cyber age. During the meeting, members also discussed relationships between the United States and other nations, focusing on those with growing relevance to U.S. higher education.

The FBI is extremely pleased with the active engagement of the Board's members to include Cornell University's President David J. Skorton, who commented at the meeting's conclusion, "I am grateful to the leadership of the FBI and other agencies for their willingness to engage in a meaningful and candid way with research university leaders. Concerted dialogue about issues that affect the higher education community is essential to achieving a balance in areas of critical national concern."

The Board is scheduled to meet again in June 2008.

The US-Ireland Alliance today announced the names of the 2008-2009 George J. Mitchell Scholars. The new class includes Duke University’s newspaper editor whose coverage of the Duke lacrosse scandal won him and the paper universal praise, an environmental activist, an intellectual property specialist and distinguished musician and composer, an accomplished genetic researcher who has helped to discover a tumor-suppressor gene, and a dedicated anti-poverty advocate who has spent his years at Georgetown in Washington DC’s neediest neighborhoods.

The prestigious George J. Mitchell Scholarships are awarded annually to twelve Americans, under the age of 30, to pursue a year of post-graduate study at any university on the island of Ireland. This year’s renowned Selection Committee included former National Security Advisor Anthony Lake; National Book Award winner Alice McDermott; former State Department official and internet health leader and CEO Chris Schroeder; Ireland’s Ambassador to the US Michael Collins, Dr. Robert Clarke, a leading cancer expert at Georgetown who is a native of Northern Ireland; former head of Amnesty International William Schulz; Irish venture capitalist Gerry McCrory; Maureen Murphy, Dean of the School of Education and Irish historian at Hofstra; and Jasmin Weaver, a 2004 Mitchell Scholar who is currently working in the Budget Office at Harvard University.

The awards are named after former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell who spearheaded the historic Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which produced peace in Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Scholarship program recognizes outstanding young Americans who exhibit the highest standards of academic excellence, leadership and community service. The program seeks to link future American leaders with the island of Ireland.

The twelve new Mitchell scholars were selected after a rigorous application process that drew more than 300 applications. “We are delighted with the new class of George Mitchell Scholars," said Mary Lou Hartman, Director of the George Mitchell Scholarship program. “They already are leaders in fields ranging from terrorism and national security to intellectual property, ubiquitous computing, human rights, and neuroscience. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the historic Good Friday Agreement, these young leaders are the perfect heirs to Senator Mitchell’s legacy. They will build on his legacy in impressive fashion in the years ahead.”

The Alliance received more applications this year than in previous years, drawing from 139 different schools from all over the country. “On campuses across the nation, the George Mitchell Scholarship has clearly emerged as one of the most desirable fellowships in the world. We are delighted by this development because it fulfills the vision of the program – to bring the most talented young leaders in the nation to the island of Ireland for a year of immersion in Irish academia, life, and culture as a way of building strong relationships between our countries,” said Trina Vargo, president of the US-Ireland Alliance.

The Mitchell Scholarship program is possible due to the generous support of Quinlan Private, Garrett & Maeve Kelleher, Bernard & Moira McNamara, Pat & Teresa Mooney, Derek & Siobhan Quinlan, The Government of Ireland, the US Department of State – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning, BD (Becton, Dickinson & Company), Bombardier Aerospace (NI) Foundation, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, John & Cearuil Morrissey, Anglo Irish Bank, and all of the universities on the island of Ireland.

The George Mitchell Scholarship places a unique emphasis on integrating the educational program with an intensive leadership program. Throughout the year, Mitchell scholars have the opportunity to meet and brainstorm with leaders of Irish government, business, culture, and the arts and to fully immerse themselves in the most important and interesting events throughout the island.

The newly announced 2008-2009 George Mitchell Scholars are listed below along with their hometowns, their US university affiliation, and their Irish and Northern Ireland university assignment, pending final approval from the universities. A more complete biography of each Scholar follows.

• Katherine Boyle (Gainesville, Florida)
  Georgetown University
  NUI Galway – Public Advocacy and Activism
• José Canto (Baltimore, Maryland)
  Georgetown University
  University College Dublin - Sociology
• Joshua “Tyler” Dillard (Dothan, Alabama)
  Rice University
  Queen’s University Belfast – Human Rights
• Catherine Fontana (Dearborn, Michigan)
  Albion College (Michigan)
  Trinity College Dublin – Environmental Science
• Travis Green (West Palm Beach, Florida)
  Dartmouth College
  University College Dublin – Neuroscience
• Lara Janson (Iowa City, Iowa/Seattle, Washington)
  Grinnell College
  University of Ulster – Peace and Conflict Studies
• Andrea Laidman (Alden, New York)
  University of Notre Dame
  NUI Maynooth – Anthropology and Development
• Ryan McCartney (Mt. Kisco, New York)
  Duke University
  Dublin City University – Political Communication
• Victoria Moore (Burke, Virginia)
  United States Naval Academy
  Dublin City University – Development Studies
• Erin Rhoda (Washington, Maine)
  Colby College
  Trinity College Dublin – Creative Writing
• Christopher Rosson (Kansas City, Missouri)
  Johns Hopkins School of Advanced and International Studies
  William Jewell College (BA)
  Queen’s University Belfast – Violence, Terrorism and Security
• Adam Tart (Marietta, Georgia)
  Georgia Institute of Technology
  University College Cork – Mobile Networking and Computing
• For details of the students above see

  Appendix March 6, 2008

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Washington, D.C. – Five Georgetown University juniors were recently awarded David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships by the National Security Education Program (NSEP) to support study abroad. In addition, five Georgetown graduate students received NSEP Boren Graduate Fellowships. The scholarships are awarded to American students for study of world regions critical to U.S. interests, including Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean.  

“We congratulate these students on their achievement,” said Kathy Bellows, director of the Office of International Programs. “Their study abroad experiences made possible with this scholarship will be invaluable and lead to a greater understanding about critical parts of the world.”    

Georgetown’s 2007 Boren Undergraduate Scholarship recipients include:

W. Scott Chahanovich, an Arabic and Economics major from Ellicott City, Md., will spend the fall 2007 semester at the Arabic Language Institute and the spring 2008 semester at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. He plans to conduct research on the politicization of Egyptian theater and study the Coptic Egyptian community.  

Jason Cheberenchick, a Theology and Government major from Bethel Park, Pa., will spend this summer taking intensive Polish language classes at Jagiellonian University’s School of Polish Language and Culture in Krakow, Poland. He will also take elective courses in Polish history, music, film and culture.  

David Childers, an International Economics major from Ellicott City, Md., will study intensive Mandarin at Peking University in Beijing, China this summer through Columbia University’s Summer Language Program.  

Cameron Stainken, an International Politics and Chinese major from North Kingstown, R.I., will study Chinese language at Peking University in Beijing China during the fall 2007 semester and at the Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, China during the spring.  

Margie Velazquez, an International Politics major from Los Angeles, Calif., will spend the fall 2007 semester at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. In addition to taking advanced Arabic language courses, Velazquez plans to take courses related to regional security and terrorism, and Arab politics and history.  

Georgetown’s 2007 Boren Graduate Fellowship recipients include:

Zsofia Budai, a master’s student in Russian and East European Studies from St. Paul, Minn., will study Russian language, foreign policy and political processes at Moscow State Institute of International Relations during the 2007-2008 academic year.

Jeffrey Ellis, a Master of Science in Foreign Service student studying foreign policy and international security from Ashland, Wis., will study intensive Hindi in Mussoorie, India at the Landour Language School from June – September 2007. He will then pursue counterterrorism research at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, India until December 2007.

Nathan Field, a master’s student in the Security Studies Program from Wilmington, Del., will study Arabic in Cairo, Egypt at the International Language Institute this summer and at the American University in Cairo during the fall.

Daria Gage, a Master of Science in Foreign Service student focusing on foreign policy and international security from New York, N.Y., will conduct research on the China-MENA nuclear cooperation and the future of the nonproliferation regime beginning January 2008 in Beijing and Kunming, China. She will study Mandarin language and spend several months doing field research in Pakistan, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco.

Haris Siddiqui, a master’s student in the Security Studies Program from Rockville, Md., will pursue Urdu language study in Islamabad and Karachi, Pakistan, and conduct field research on civil unrest in Pakistan’s Balochistan province during the spring and summer of 2008.

The Boren scholarship program gives preference to students who will study particular languages and areas of study related to U.S. strategic interests, who plan to study abroad for longer periods of time, and who make a commitment to a career in federal service. The program includes a service requirement that award recipients pursue work in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security or the Intelligence Community, or another U.S. federal department or agency with national security responsibilities.  

About the Office of International Programs  

The mission of the Office of International Programs (OIP) at Georgetown University is to foster the international character of the University by promoting, supporting, and developing a wide range of international and intercultural educational opportunities for members of the Georgetown community. For more information about the Office of International Programs, visit www.georgetown.edu/programs/oip/.

About Georgetown University

Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on its three campuses in Washington, DC. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu

Developer of World Wide Web, Father of Biomechanics, and Exceptional Educators Win Highest Engineering Honors of 2007

WASHINGTON -- The engineering profession's highest honors for 2007, presented by the National Academies' National Academy of Engineering (NAE), recognize three achievements that have revolutionized how people use information, opened new frontiers of medical research, and guided promising engineers into leadership roles.

Timothy J. Berners-Lee will receive the prestigious Charles Stark Draper Prize -- a $500,000 annual award that honors engineers whose accomplishments have significantly benefited society -- "for developing the World Wide Web."

Yuan-Cheng "Bert" Fung will receive the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize -- a $500,000 biennial award recognizing engineering achievement that significantly improves the human condition -- "for the characterization and modeling of human tissue mechanics and function leading to prevention and mitigation of trauma."

Harold S. Goldberg, Jerome E. Levy, and Arthur W. Winston will share the Bernard M. Gordon Prize -- a $500,000 award issued annually that recognizes innovation in engineering and technology education -- "for the development of a multidisciplinary graduate program for engineering professionals who have the potential and the desire to be engineering leaders."

The prizes will be presented at a gala dinner in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 20.

Details goto web page .         Blog / Archive Hosts.

The General Assembly this afternoon, recognizing that genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity and international understanding, proclaimed 2008 the International Year of Languages.

Acting without a vote, the Assembly, also recognizing that the United Nations pursues multilingualism as a means of promoting, protecting and preserving diversity of languages and cultures globally, emphasized the paramount importance of the equality of the Organization’s six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).

In that regard, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to ensure that all language services were given equal treatment and were provided with equally favourable working conditions and resources.  The Secretary-General was also requested to complete the task of publishing all important older United Nations documents on the Organization’s website in all six official languages, on a priority basis.

Further, the Assembly emphasized the importance of making appropriate use of all the official languages in all the activities of the Department of Public Information, with the aim of eliminating the disparity between the use of English and the use of the five other official languages.

Introducing the resolution (contained in document A/61/L.56), France’s representative said the text would ensure a “global” approach to multilingualism and would promote a reasonable vision of multilingualism at the United Nations.  It would help ensure adherence to the principles of multilingualism in the Organization’s daily activities and, for the first time, would underline the importance of providing technical assistance and training in the local languages of beneficiary countries.

Speakers, among them the representatives of Tunisia, Andorra, Russian Federation, Romania and Senegal, stressed that multilingualism in the United Nations served to enrich the work of the Organization.  Linguistic diversity was the foundation of cultural diversity.  Without appropriate attention to the issue of preserving linguistic diversity, the harmonious integration of a growing number of countries in the practical work of the Organization would hardly be possible.

They welcomed the work of the Department of Public Information regarding multilingualism in electronic resources, as well as that of the United Nations information centres (UNICs) in disseminating information through local languages.  Some speakers hoped the next resolution on multilingualism would include an explicit reference to the need for linguistic diversity in peacekeeping operations.

The Assembly was informed that any resource implications resulting from the resolution would be addressed in the Secretary-General’s report to the sixty-third session of the Assembly on implementation of the resolution.

Also this afternoon, the Assembly, acting on the recommendation of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), adopted without a vote the resolution entitled “Comprehensive review of a strategy to eliminate future sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations” (contained in document A/61/409/Add.1). 

By the terms of the text, the Assembly -- reaffirming the need to implement a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations, and to assist victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by the Organization’s staff or related personnel -- would endorse the proposals, recommendations and conclusions contained in the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations at its second resumed session of 2006, held on 18 December.

In that report, the Special Committee requested the open-ended ad hoc working group of experts to continue its consideration of a revised draft model Memorandum of Understanding with troop-contributing countries at a resumed session before the end of June.

The representative of Uganda, underscoring the importance of the issue, said his delegation supported the “zero-tolerance” concept; after all, peacekeepers should not be “peace abusers”.  Underlying factors, such as poverty, should be considered, as well, to help address that scourge, he stated.

In other action, the Assembly appointed Thomas Thomma ( Germany) as a member of the Committee on Contributions for a term of office beginning today and ending on 31 December 2008, in order to fill a vacancy resulting from the resignation of Sujata Ghorai ( Germany).

At the outset of the meeting, the Assembly observed a minute of silence and paid tribute to the memory of His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, Head of State of Samoa, who passed away on 11 May.  Expressing their condolences were the representatives of Sri Lanka (on behalf of the Asian States), Latvia (on behalf of the Eastern European States), Jamaica (on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean States), Portugal (on behalf of the Western European and other States), United States (as host country), United Republic of Tanzania (on behalf of the African States) and Tonga (on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum).  The representative of Samoa thanked the speakers for their expressions of sympathy.