Posted October 30, 2014

Highlights from recent stories about Temple in the media

Tyler design entrepreneurship program on front page of Inquirer “Business”
The Hatchery, Tyler School of Art’s design incubator, and the market where its products are sold, are examples of academia's recognition that future entrepreneurs aren't necessarily enrolled in schools of business—and deserve to have that creativity inspired wherever they are. "What we're trying to do is bring that genetic thing out in all [design] students," said Stephanie Knopp, chair of Graphic and Interactive Design at Tyler and the impetus behind the Hatchery. The story and photo gallery featured products created by Tyler students Jess Ruggierio, Max Vandenberg and Lauren West under the guidance of faculty member Bryan Satalino.
The Philadelphia Inquirer | Oct. 27, 2014

SMC’s Duffy discusses social media trends in New York Times
Can a new social media platform called Tsu—which shares profits with those who post—be the more communal social network that critics have been looking for? Temple’s Brooke Erin Duffy, an assistant professor of media and communication, has doubts. “I understand the appeal and I certainly understand the buzz of it,” she said. “The problem is, if it gets a critical mass—and I think that’s a big if—who’s actually going to be benefitting?” Her prediction: “I think what we’ll end up seeing is the same kind of social media influencers that are already getting compensated for their work are the ones that are ultimately going to benefit from this.”
The New York Times | Oct. 27, 2014

LA Times publishes op-ed on dual citizenship by Temple Law’s Spiro
In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, Peter J. Spiro, an international law and citizenship expert at Temple’s Beasley School of Law, noted that most of the “brand-new Americans” who take part in naturalization ceremonies across the country today are also “brand-new dual citizens.” Is “divided loyalty” a bad thing? “Citizenship is an important part of individual identity,” he wrote. “There's no reason it needs to be exclusive. Those of us who are U.S. citizens also have other associations: religions, civic institutions, advocacy groups. That some of us belong to other nations doesn't undermine our capacity to be good Americans.”
Los Angeles Times | Oct. 29, 2014

Temple Libraries’ new zine archive featured in Inquirer
A story on the front page of the “Style and Soul” section described the Little Berlin zine archive, a new part of Temple University Libraries’ collections. The archive’s zines, which range from photocopied publications to hand-printed and hand-bound works of art, tell the story of Philadelphia's art scene. Temple, which already has a collection of science fiction fanzines, is in the company of Harvard and Duke in incorporating artists' zines into its collections. "We collect zines in part because they document contemporary culture," said Margery Sly, director of the Special Collections Research Center. "They're also used extensively by Tyler School of Art students as examples and inspiration for their projects."
The Philadelphia Inquirer | Oct. 29, 2014

Fox’s Wattal praises Uber on CBS News’ MoneyWatch
Ride-sharing service Uber has taken its battle against the taxi industry to Philadelphia, where regulators over the weekend confiscated cars and fined their drivers. Officials at the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) argue that Uber has gone rogue by deciding to operate in the city despite lacking the legal authority to do so. State law requires taxis to be inspected by the PPA and issued a medallion, which can fetch $500,000. Uber is a “tremendous value for consumers in the long run," said Sunil Wattal of Temple's Fox School of Business. "Regulators should exist to facilitate new and innovative services, not to kill."
CBS News | Oct. 28, 2014

Psychologist Hirsh-Pasek advises parents on reading to kids in New York Times
Clifford the Big Red Dog looks fabulous on an iPad. The book's main character sounds good, too—tap the screen and hear him pant as a truck roars into the frame. But does this count as story time or just screen time? It’s a question that parents, pediatricians and researchers are struggling to answer as children’s books migrate to digital media. “What we’re really after in reading to our children is behavior that sparks a conversation,” said Temple psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek. “But if that book has things that disrupt the conversation, like a game plopped right in the middle of the story, then it’s not offering you the same advantages as an old-fashioned book.”
The New York Times | Oct. 11, 2014

Medicine’s Smith describes rare esophageal condition to Sanjay Gupta
What is an esophageal diverticulum, and is it dangerous? In his “Ask Dr. Gupta” column, Sanjay Gupta explained that patients who have the rare condition have a sac or pouch of the esophageal lining that bulges through the muscular wall of the esophagus. The diverticulum grows over time, so symptoms can gradually develop or worsen. “If it becomes very big, the person may not be able to swallow at all, and in rare cases a tear can form in the esophagus,” said Michael S. Smith, medical director of the Temple Esophageal Program. “This would require immediate medical intervention, or the patient could die from a severe infection.”
Everyday Health | Oct. 28, 2014

Temple and CHOP get $4.3 million NIMH grant for HIV research
Temple University and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia received a joint $4.3 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to investigate new methods for eradicating HIV that lurks in brain cells after patients receive conventional antiviral treatments. Jay Rappaport, a professor of neuroscience and neurovirology at Temple’s School of Medicine, is a co-principal investigator of the four-year grant. Rappaport said the funding will be used for three research projects involving cell and animal studies, each of which will "seek to bypass vulnerabilities in the body's immune system that are exploited by HIV."
Philadelphia Business Journal, NBC10, more | Oct. 28, 2014

Religion’s Duckworth on internal divisions in Buddhism
The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, was recently greeted by Buddhist protesters belonging to an orthodox splinter group called the Shugden movement. The Dalai Lama rejects Shugden teachings because of what he calls their divisive, sectarian nature. Shugden's narrow interpretation of Buddhism doesn't mesh with his goal of finding common ground among all religions, said Douglas Duckworth of Temple’s Religion Department. "Maybe a parallel would be Joseph Smith and the Mormons—if his message was to propagate Mormonism, and exclusively Mormonism, as the only, one, right interpretation of Christianity," he explained.
WHYY/NewsWorks | Oct. 27, 2014

Campus Safety Services’ dogs Baron and Jarvis join Frein hunt
On a given day, Temple Campus Safety Services dogs Baron and Jarvis are called upon to clear buildings and patrol on a campus that has more than 30,000 students. But this week, the dogs and their handlers joined teams from SEPTA Transit Police and Philadelphia Police that have been deployed in a much different environment: searching the woods of Monroe County for fugitive Eric Frein. "I trust these dogs more than anyone when it comes to finding a bomb," said Charles J. Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services. All the dogs are trained in tracking and bomb detection; some are trained to be "deployed" if a fugitive is spotted.
Pocono Record | Oct. 22, 2014

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