The Duke Digest - November 11, 2011

In Today's Issue:

  • Obama Nominates Duke Law Prof to U.S. Court of Military Commission Review
  • The Atlantic's 'Best Ideas': Innovation at Duke
  • Duke Prof to Participate in Congressional Briefing on Medical Imaging R&D
  • Duke's Fuqua School of Business to Start MMS Program in the UAE
  • Opinion: Cap-and-Trade Offers Benefits for California and Beyond
  • New 3-D Campus Map Reveals Duke in Many Dimensions


OBAMA NOMINATES DUKE LAW PROF TO U.S. COURT OF MILITARY COMMISSION REVIEW
President Barack Obama has nominated Professor Scott L. Silliman for a seat on the U.S. Court of Military Commission Review, the appellate court that reviews each military commission case held at Guantanamo Bay. The nomination is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

In a Nov. 10 press release announcing the nomination, the president said Silliman's extensive experience in both military and civilian law makes him "uniquely qualified to both protect our national security interests and uphold our highest judicial standards."

Read More:
Silliman Nominated to U.S. Court of Military Commission Review(law.duke.edu)


THE ATLANTIC'S 'BEST IDEAS': INNOVATION AT DUKE
This week The Atlantic launched the Secrets of Innovation special report, a three-week bonanza about ideas in government, business, and life, and how they're changing the economy. As part of this report, The Atlanticasked Duke University to reveal some of its most exciting new innovations. Two ideas the school shared with the writers: a flashlight that diagnoses cancer and an ipad that bends, folds, and never breaks.

Read More:
The Best Ideas from Duke University (The Atlantic)


DUKE PROF TO PARTICIPATE IN CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING ON MEDICAL IMAGING R&D
In conjunction with the House Research and Development Caucus, the Optical Society (OSA) will host a briefing on November 17 to provide insight into how medical imaging is being used to better diagnose and treat a range of conditions, while offering perspective into where this technology is headed in the future.

Dr. Joseph Izatt, professor of biomedical engineering at Duke, will discuss current and future technologies related to medical imaging and give examples of how laboratory research has translated into successful start-up companies.

Medical imaging helps to detect, diagnose and treat many life-threatening diseases at their earliest stages. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment reduce the need for invasive, in-patient procedures and repeat surgeries and facilitate shorter recovery times while also saving money and improving efficiency in the healthcare system. Many of the cutting-edge technologies being developed and used today originated from university laboratories through federal government spending.

Read More:
Event Info - Medical Imaging: R&D Saving Lives(researchcaucus.org)


DUKE'S FUQUA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS TO START MMS PROGRAM IN THE UAE
Duke University's Fuqua School of Business is launching in the United Arab Emirates a new program, Masters in Management Studies: Finance (MMS: Finance), beginning this spring.

Building on Fuqua's global strategy, the MMS: Finance program will mark the first time the school will run a degree program completely outside the United States, said Fuqua dean Bill Boulding.

Designed for working professionals in the finance industry, the part-time program is intended to provide students with a strong foundation in management, including a special emphasis in finance and accounting, delivered in a format that supports students' professional responsibilities.

Read More:
Duke's Fuqua School of Business to Start MMS Program in the UAE (fuqua.duke.edu)


OPINION: CAP-AND-TRADE OFFERS BENEFITS FOR CALIFORNIA AND BEYOND
Timothy Profeta and Jan Mazurek, staff members of Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, write in an op-ed appearing in the Raleigh News and Observer:

The California Air Resources Board recently approved the nation's first comprehensive program to trim gases implicated in global climate change. Since this historic vote for cap-and-trade, many have questioned whether the program - aimed at providing financial incentives to polluters to reduce harmful emissions - could catch on and have a larger impact on climate policy in the rest of the country.

The new carbon market system is, by design, intended to be low-cost and lends itself to the creation of new clean technology. Those who can deploy clean technologies, such as North Carolina hog farmers, stand to benefit from the early market signals that the California program is sending.

And while the state's law is insufficient to address the global problem, California's carbon market, replete with innovative cost containment features such as offsets and a reserve, can provide a road map for leaders in other states and in our nation's capital when they finally decide to act.

Read More:
Cap-and-Trade Offers Benefits for California and Beyond(newsobserver.com)


NEW 3-D CAMPUS MAP REVEALS DUKE IN MANY DIMENSIONS
A visitor to Duke can now walk through gothic arches, take a peek inside Cameron Indoor Stadium and inspect stonework on Duke Chapel's 210-foot tower without even stepping foot on the 9,350-acre campus.

Duke unveiled a new online map Friday that includes 3-D models of 325 buildings across the campuses. The map also includes satellite views and traditional two-dimensional street maps and offers overlays that display details such as dining locations and parking permit requirements, photos related to the buildings and videos linked to specific campus locations.

Read More:
Interactive Map Reveals Duke in Many Dimensions(duke.edu)