Archive for the ‘In the Spotlight’ Category

Stanford Video has been awarded two bronze 2010 TELLY Awards, which honor the best in television commercials and programs, video and film production, and online film and video. In the “Institutional/Corporate” category, the Stanford Video group won for Leadership, a commercial featuring Cardinal Women’s Basketball guard ROSALYN GOLD-ONWUDE. In the “Education” category, Discovery Science: Personalized Genomic Medicine,a piece done for The Stanford Challenge, also took a bronze. The film features RUSS ALTMAN, chair of the Department of Bioengineering, and STEPHEN QUAKE, co-chair of the department. You can watch both winners on the Stanford Video website.

Cardinal football star and Heisman Trophy runner-up TOBY GERHART was drafted by the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings on Friday. Gerhart was the 51st draft choice overall. The Vikings grabbed Gerhart with their second, 2nd-round pick. He joins basketball star JAYNE APPEL in professional sports. Appel was recently drafted by the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. Appel was selected number 5 overall in the draft.

From left: Cotton, Carson, Young and Clarence Jones, scholar-in-residence at the King Institute

It’s been a heady week for CLAYBORNE CARSON, founding director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. Last weekend Carson was in Raleigh, N.C, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, where such civil rights heavyweights as CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS and HARRY BELAFONTE gathered (and in the latter’s case sang publicly for the first time in years).
 After landing at SFO Sunday afternoon, Carson headed straight to a luncheon hosted by the Peninsula Bay Chapter of Links, Incorporated, where the organization of professional women of color honored Carson for his work in preserving King’s legacy. 
One would think some well-deserved rest would be in order, but Carson was going home to greet both his wife, Susan, and DOROTHY COTTON, another civil rights stalwart. Cotton, who worked directly with King as the education director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, is well known for leading freedom songs. Cotton is working on her memoir with the help of Susan Carson, former managing editor at the King Institute. On Tuesday, Cotton also shared her experiences and insights with students in Carson’s class The Modern African American Freedom Struggle.
Then on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, Carson spent time with Andrew Young, movement colleague and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. During a visit to the institute’s offices, Young, on campus for a meeting of the United Nations Foundation board, told the staff that the work they are doing is “laying a foundation for generations unborn.” 
While inside the institute with Young, Carson got a parking ticket, which Young graciously autographed. “The visit was worth much more!” he wrote.

At 4 p.m. this afternoon at the Stanford Bookstore, SHELLEY FISHER FISHKIN will share excerpts from The Mark Twain Anthology: Great Writers on His Life and Works. The anthology includes writings by George Orwell, Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, T.S. Eliot, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, William Dean Howells, William James, Helen Keller, Ursula LeGuin, Norman Mailer, Somerset Maugham, H.L. Mencken, Barack Obama, Eugene O’Neill, Franklin Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw, Gore Vidal, Richard Wright and others.

As the literary world celebrates the 100th anniversary of Twain’s death as well as the 175th year of his birth, Fishkin, professor in the Department of English who has written dozens of books on Twain, has been a most sought-after source of Twain expertise.
This week alone, she has been quoted in the Boston Globe, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and USA Today. She’s also featured in a recent segment on Minnesota Public Radio.
For more on what Fishkin has been up to of late, visit The Book Haven.

—Cynthia Haven

During the first half of yesterday’s Boston Marathon, former Stanford All-American RYAN HALL, ’06, was the front runner. In the end, however, he came in fourth, finishing the race in 2:08:41. Still, Hall kept it positive. “Today my goal was to have fun and run free, and I feel like I did,” he told the San Jose Mercury News. Hall, who was bested by two Kenyans and an Ethiopian, now holds the distinction of being the fastest American ever in the race.

Jeff Melton and Katie Allen Photo: John LeSchofs/VAS

Medical School employees JEFF MELTON and KATIE ALLEN are this year’s recipients of the school’s Dean’s Spirit Awards. Melton, an information systems manager in the Stanford Prevention Research Center, was cited for his “can-do” attitude and his mastery of his job. Allen, an administrative associate in the Division of Multi-Organ Transplantation, was called the “true unsung hero of the program.”

Each year, the Dean’s Spirit Awards go to two staff members — one exempt and one non-exempt — who contribute greatly to the “mission and vision” of the Medical School. This is the ninth year the school has given out the award, and Marcia Cohen, senior associate dean in finance and administration, reports that 230 employees submitted nomination forms this year — the most nominations ever.

Allen and Melton each will receive a cash prize of $1,500 and will be honored during the Dean’s Recognition Celebration on Thursday, April 22. The event also will recognize the 353 employees who are marking their 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service at the Medical School.

Read Michelle Brandt’s full story.

Professor HANS ULRICH “SEPP” GUMBRECHT will receive an honorary doctorate from Aarhus University, Denmark. Gumbrecht, the Albert Guérard Professor of Literature in the Division of Literatures, Cultures and Languages, will receive the honorary degree on Sept. 10, 2010, in conjunction with the university’s 82^nd anniversary. Rumor has it the Danish queen will be present at the ceremony.

All the details are not quite worked out yet, but what is set in stone is that PRESIDENT JOHN HENNESSY will lead a virtual tour and real tour of “new Stanford places” for his annual address to the Academic Council on Thursday, May 13. The event will take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Details to come in the Stanford Report eNews.

A service of reflection, prayer and candle lighting to remember those who lost their lives in the plane clash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski; his wife, Maria; and other high-level officials will be held in Memorial Church today at 4 p.m. The service, sponsored by the Office for Religious Life, is open to all.

Baseball season opened with six former Stanford players taking the field for Major League Baseball teams: CHRIS CARTER (New York Mets), RYAN GARKO (Texas Rangers), JODY GERUT (Milwaukee Brewers), JEREMY GUTHRIE (Baltimore Orioles), JOHN HESTER (Arizona Diamondbacks) and CARLOS QUENTIN (Chicago White Sox), according to Stanford Athletics. Also, A.J. HINCH is manager of the Diamondbacks. RUBEN AMARO, JR. of the Philadelphia Phillies and KENNY WILLIAMS of the White Sox are general managers.

You can watch big league players of the future at Sunken Diamond. Just check the schedule.