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January 16, 2002
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Emr
opts
not
to direct LSI
By Elizabeth Kassab
Daily Staff Reporter
Citing personal reasons and the departure of for-
mer University President Lee Bollinger, Life Sci-
ences Institute Co-Director
Scott Emr has decided to
remain at the University ofI
California at San Diego where
he is a professor of molecular
medicine and biology.
Emr, who was selected in
October 2000 to head the LSI
with University of Michigan
bioloocal chemistry Chair
Jack Dixon, was set to move
to Ann Arbor this July. Emr
"My decision not to come
to Michigan and serve as the Co-Director of the
Life Sciences Institute has been the most difficult
decision of my professional career," Emr said in a
written statement received by the University's
deans and directors with a statement from interim
University President B. Joseph White yesterday.
"I wrestled with it for the past two months....
However, in the end, my decision was based on
both personal considerations, as well as the needs
of my lab personnel"
Emr also said he developed a close relationship
with Bollinger - a factor that weighed heavily in
his decision to stay in California.
"With Lee's departure, I had to re-evaluate
everything about the move and the momentous
change in my career," Emr said.
"I think Lee's departure upset the apple cart in
terms of that close relationship," Dixon said.
Emr is the first member of the University admin-
istration to cite Bollinger's move to Columbia as a
reason for leaving the University. He is also the
second high-profile University administrator to
step down in recent weeks. Executive Vice Presi-
dent for Medical Affairs Gil Omenn announced
last month that he would be leaving his post to
become a faculty member at the University.
Dixon will stay on as the sole director of the
institute. He said he has already been handling
much of the daily business of the institute and
expects that to continue.
"I have no immediate plans to appoint a co-
director," White said. "We have in Jack Dixon an
outstanding leader."
Dixon praised Emr's scientific achievements
and the effort he put into the institute.
The LSI's current progress is not expected to b&
disrupted by Emr's decision to vacate the position
See EMR, Page 7
I
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i
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t
t
Area residents and University students are hoping to revive the South University Avenue area. In the last few ye
from an increase in business closures and commercial tenants.
Souh University goes
By Ted Borden by fast food outlets, many business closures, picture of the1
Daily StaffReporter high turnover and increased use of retail space rent infrastruc
for office and commercial tenants," he said. project manag
A new University study aimed at revitaliz- The group conducting the study includes ture graduate
ing the declining retail atmosphere of the three graduate students from the school of go in the fiel
South University Avenue district has students Architecture and Urban Planning and seven surveys and ho
and staff working to rebuild one of Ann undergraduate students from the University Molnar said
Arbor's key commercial districts. Research Opportunity Program. The study, us more kno
"The South University area has undergone requested by the city of Ann Arbor Down- tomers, mercl
significant changes over the past several town Development Authority, mirrors the owners like a
decades," said Prof. Lawrence Molnar, Business School's successful study of the what they envi
research program director at the Business State Street area, which resulted in a $5 mil- area.
School and overseer of the study. lion redevelopment project. "Based upo
"What was once a thriving and diverse "The research so far has been primarily ommendations
retail center has become an area characterized done from existing sources to give us a clear
R(YAN LEVENTHlAL/Daily
ars, the street has suffered
South
history of the area and the cur-
cture," said Andrew Bergang,
er of the study and an Architec-
student. "In the future we will
d to conduct focus groups, do
old stakeholder meetings."
he expects "the study will give
wledge about what the cus-
hants, residents and property
nd dislike about the area, and
sion as the optimal future of the
n this knowledge, specific rec-
s for activities and processes to
See SOUTH U, Page 7
0
Showtime,MT
gay cable channel
By Maria Sprow digital cable network, which has the capacity to
Daily Staff Reporter offer more channels, he added.
In first year,
Harvard's new
president faces
many hurdles
BOSTON (AP) - Lawrence Summers was touring
the Harvard University athletic fields in September
when he saw a group of linemen lunging for the foot-
ball: Without warning, Summers - in suit and tie -
jumped into the middle of the drill, got the ball and
began running the show.
"He kind of off-the-cuff took over one of the drills,"
coach Tim Murphy recalled. "I think our kids got a big kick
out of it."
Whether on the athletic field or with the faculty, Har-
vard's new president has been leaping into the fray since he
took the post in July.
Former University of Michigan President Lee Bollinger
was a finalist for the position Summers holds. Bollinger is
to become president of another Ivy League institution,
Columbia University, this summer.
Among the issues Summers, the former Clinton adminis-
tration treasury secretary, has faced in recent months:
a threat by some of the nation's top black scholars to
defect to Princeton.
questions about his support for
Harvard's banished ROTC program.
opposition from faculty members
to his push to hire younger professors.
accusations by Hispanic studies
professors that he is not supportive.
demands by janitors and other low-
paid Harvard employees for a "living
wage."
The flurry of controversies in the
first months is no surprise, said Sum- Summers
mers' friend Donna Shalala, who
served with him in President Clinton's Cabinet and is
now president of the University of Miami.
"Everybody makes demands," said Shalala, former secre-
tary of health and human services. "It's called 'gotcha.'
They're looking for everything. Fundamentally, they're won-
dering, 'Who is this person and what do they care about?"'
Summers already has established a far more confronta-
tional style than his predecessor, Neil Rudenstine. His
bluntness - some say abrasiveness - has bruised egos, but
his energy has many excited.
Summers, 47, seemed unfazed by the recent challenges
during a brief interview, but acknowledged: "Certainly, I
come to Harvard after having been away for a decade with a
lot to learn."
Summers, a native of New Haven, Conn., was an eco-
nomics professor at Harvard for 10 years, beginning in
1983, before leaving to work in the Treasury. Clinton
appointed him secretary in 1999.
An early test for Summers at Harvard came after the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks. He responded by praising Harvard's
0
Cable television blockbusters MTV Networks
and Showtime Networks Inc., both subsidiaries of
Viacom Inc., recently announced the possibility of
a collaborative new channel entirely focused on
one subject: homosexuality.
Few concrete plans have been made concerning
the channel. It is expected to be a premium chan-
nel, but unlike other premium channels, it would
also get financial support from advertisements
aimed toward the network's audience. Customers
would likely be charged $5 or $6 a month.
The unnamed channel is in development stages
and it is unknown if and when the channel will be
offered to cable customers. Also at issue is whether
cable providers would even offer the new channel.
Whether the channel would be offered depends
on a variety of factors, said Jeff Wack, the market-
ing manager for Comcast, Ann Arbor's largest
cable provider.
Wack said it would depend on Comcast's chan-
nel capacity at the time of introduction, the well-
roundedness of programming and the kind of cable
the network would require. If anything, the channel
would most likely be added first to the company's
vu aaaa awaaa, a ans ,
Despite the controversial nature of the subject,
Wack said Comcast would give the network the
same thought other channels are given before they
are offered.
"It would be given consideration. ... There's a
lot of factors that go into how we launch a chan-
nel," he said. "It's something that we would keep
our eyes open for."
The type and variation of possible programs fea-
tured on the channel is still in discussion.
Frederic MacDonald-Dennis, director of the
Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Affairs, said he had his own idea for what he'd like
to see in the channel, including news programs tak-
ing events from an LGBT perspective and talk
shows focusing on specific LGBT-related topics
such as gender identity inclusion.
MacDonald-Dennis said that, to him, the most
important aspect of the new channel is that it
should be "comprehensive."
He added that LGBT characters currently por-
trayed on television - such as Will from NBC's
"Will and Grace," the cast of Showtime's "Queer as
Folk," and cast members of the reality shows "Sur-
See CHANNEL, Page 7
DANNY MOLOSHO/ uaily
LSA sophomore Heather O'Leary, LSA senior Anjil Aurora dance at Rick's with
the rest of the Dance Marathon central planning team for a fundraiser last
night.
By Shannon Pettypiece
Daily Staff Reporter
Interim University President B. Joseph
White will test his legs tomorrow at the first
University Board of Regents meeting since
he took over the helm of the University
administration on New Year's Day.
"This is my first meeting so I will be like
the new kid out on the ice rink trying out
my skates," White said.
The agenda will include the appointment
of Paul Courant as the new interim provost,
a review of construction projects and a vote
eager for f
on a $1 million addition to the Bentley His-
torical Library.
White said he has thoroughly reviewed the
procedures involved with heading the meet-
ing and is more than ready for the event.
"I've read the book inside-out, gone three
times over the agenda with Lisa Tedesco,"
said White. "I think everyone here thinks
I'm over-preparing."
The regents are expected to appoint
Courant as interim provost. Courant will
officially take over the position held by Uni-
versity Secretary Lisa Tedesco, who request-
ed in November to return to her position as
first regents meeting
secretary on a full-time basis in order to con-
centrate on the presidential search.
Courant, who has been acting as interim
provost since Jan. 1, said he is enjoying the
job but cannot say at this time if he will
consider being a candidate for the perma-
nent position.
"I have a job to do for the time being. I
am certainly enjoying the work but many
things can and will happen between now
and when that become a relevant question,"
he said.
For now, Courant said his mission is to
sustain the University's momentum and
uphold its long tradition of excellence.
"You always want to leave a job with the
place in better shape than when you got
there," Courant said.
White said he has been working closely
with Courant since November and is confi-
dent that Courant's previous experiences
will ease his transition from associate
provost for sacademic and budgetary affairs
to interim provost.
"We are only new guys to these jobs. I
think between the two of use we have like
50 year of experience," said White. "The
See REGENTS, Page 7
MSA passes resolution in favor
of detained local Muslim leader
By Tomislav Ladika
Daily Staff Reporter
Despite a request from Michigan
Student Assembly President Matt
Nolan not to consider the issue, the
MSA voted last night 29--4 to support
Ann Arbor Muslim leader Rabih
Haddad's right to a fair trial.
The MSA statement urges the
U.S. government and the Immigra-
the right to a public and speedy
trial.
The resolution also allocates $500
to fund a symposium about the case
tonight featuring U.S. Rep. Lynn
Rivers (D-Ann Arbor) and a represen-
tative from the ACLU of Michigan.
The event begins at 8 p.m. in the
Michigan Union Ballroom.
LSA senior Reza Breakstone said
the resolution was necessary because
ist ties, have not been open to the
public and the media.
"What we're saying is let's give this
person in the United States due
process, which everyone has the right
to," said Breakstone. "The rules are
not being followed, and we're asking
MSA to support rules being fol-
lowed."
But Nolan and several other MSA
representatives felt the council should
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