The Duke Digest - December 17, 2010
In Today's Issue:
- Duke to Enhance DC Presence
- Duke Accepts 645 Early Decision Applicants
- CFO Survey: Outlook Improves; Spending and Employment Trend Upward
- Duke Law Prof Calls for Greater Focus on Ethics for Bankers
- Duke Prof: The Budget Deal is DAFT
- ABC News Partners with Duke on Global Health Series
- Duke Research: Gender Gaps in Immigrant Health
DUKE TO ENHANCE DC PRESENCE
Duke University is setting its sights on Washington, D.C. Duke has opened an interim office in Washington and is beginning the process of looking for a permanent outpost to serve as a hub for the growing number of faculty, student and staff activities in the nation's capital.
"Duke's engagement in D.C. has increased to such a degree that Duke could benefit considerably from our own ‘embassy' in Washington that would provide new opportunities to enhance our visibility and connect the university's programs and experts with policymakers, think tanks, the media and alumni," said Michael J. Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations.
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Capital Connections (DukeNews)
DUKE ACCEPTS 645 EARLY DECISION APPLICANTS
On Tuesday evening, 645 high school seniors received notice of their acceptance to Duke University as the first members of the Class of 2015. Students admitted Early Decision will represent 38 percent of next fall’s incoming class, which is expected to include 1,705 students.
This year, more than 2,200 students applied under Duke's Early Decision program, an 11 percent increase over last year's number, and 220 more than the previous record, set in 2009. Those who apply via this process know they want to attend Duke and commit to enroll at the university if they receive an offer of admission in December.
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Duke Accepts 645 Early Decision Applicants (DukeNews)
CFO SURVEY: OUTLOOK IMPROVES; SPENDING AND EMPLOYMENT TREND UPWARD
According to the most recent Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook Survey, chief financial officers in the U.S. are becoming more optimistic about the economic outlook for 2011, raising expectations for continued growth in capital spending and earnings and for improved job growth. Wages next year are expected to rise 2.5 percent in the U.S.
However, concerns about the consumer sector and continued price pressure still limit the extent of economic recovery that CFOs expect to see. The survey, which concluded Dec. 10, asked 848 CFOs from a broad range of global public and private companies about their expectations for the economy.
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CFO Survey: Outlook Improves; Spending and Employment Trend Upward (DukeNews)
DUKE LAW PROF CALLS FOR GREATER FOCUS ON ETHICS FOR BANKERS
Duke Law Professor Lawrence Baxter asserts in an op-ed that appeared in the Charlotte Observer this week that failure to have an open conversation about the difference between legal and ethical concerns in the high stakes banking environment may lead to another financial collapse.
"...there's rarely a public conversation about what is ethically right and wrong in the banking industry, and how that contributed to the financial meltdown still roiling national economies. Although bankers acknowledge that "mistakes" were made or there were "cognitive failures," they are often loath to dwell on their industry's ethical breaches.
It's an uncomfortable conversation but a necessary one, many believe. Without it, they say, we will only find ourselves in another financial crisis."
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Bankers and Ethics: Is it Time to Talk? (Charlotte Observer)
DUKE PROF: THE BUDGET DEAL IS DAFT
"Our two major parties seem to have learned nothing from the backlash against deficits in this November’s election results," writes professor Michael Munger.
If you apply a basic law of accounting physics to this week's budget deal, you could easily conclude that the results are DAFT (short for "deficits are future taxes.") With a total debt of more than $13 trillion, our government is in the midst of forcing the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth the world has ever seen.
Michael Munger is a professor of political science and economics at Duke. This op-ed ran in the Detroit Free-Press, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the (Raleigh) News & Observer.
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The Budget Deal is DAFT (DukeNews)
ABC NEWS PARTNERS WITH DUKE ON GLOBAL HEALTH SERIES
The Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) is teaming up as a contributing partner with ABC News to produce a year-long series of programs on global health issues.
"Be the Change: Save a Life" will premiere Dec. 17 with a day of reporting across all ABC News broadcasts and a special edition of "20/20" airing at 10 p.m. EST.
DGHI will contribute expertise and background research for stories that will appear on all ABC News programs. Its faculty and staff also will contribute content and information to a series website, www.saveone.net.
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ABC News Partners with Duke on Global Health Series (DukeNews)
DUKE RESEARCH: GENDER GAPS IN IMMIGRANT HEALTH
A new study by researchers at Duke University shows that Mexican Americans most integrated into the culture -- including those born in the United States -- are more likely to require resources to manage their health conditions than more recent immigrants to the U.S.
“The implications of these findings run counter to the popular belief that recent immigrant arrivals are taxing the U.S. health care system,” says Jen'nan Read, associate professor of sociology and global health at Duke and co-author of the study.
In particular, their research reveals that this pattern of declining health among immigrants who are in the U.S. the longest holds more strongly for men than women. Conversely, the research indicates that, among new arrivals, women report poorer health than men.
“The implication for public policy is that we should aim to increase immigrants’ interactions with the health care system at a much earlier stage of arrival, when the onset of disease is at a much more manageable and less costly stage of treatment,” Read says.
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Research Examines Gender Gaps in Immigrant Health (DukeNews)