News, information and research from Boston University
July 14, 2009 at 11:06 am
By offering details of its Web-based, free version of its Office software, Microsoft continues its strategy of profiting both from boxed software and online distribution. And it marks the latest battle in the business war between Microsoft and Internet-based rivals like Google. School of Management Professor N. Venkat Venkatraman, head of the Information Systems Department, can discuss the battlefield.
Contact N.Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu
July 14, 2009 at 9:56 am
Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president and first African leader to be tried for war crimes, took the stand in his defense today in the Hague. He denied commanding rebels who slaughtered 500,000 in neighboring Sierra Leone. International Relations Professor Charles Stith, a former U.S. ambassador to Tanzania and now director of BU's African Presidential Archives and Research Center, can discuss the Taylor case.
Contact Charles Stith, 617-353-5452, crstith@bu.edu
July 13, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Controversy is erupting over the fact that Congressional leaders weren't briefed on a capture-or-kill al Qaeda operatives plan the CIA mulled on and off since the 9/11 attacks (now officially cancelled by current CIA Director Panetta). School of Law lecturer Philip O'Neill, Jr., who teaches national security law, can discuss what it all might mean.
"Some Bush administration officials don't seem to have realized that public accountability and oversight is not an impediment to our survival."
Contact Philip O'Neill, Jr., 617-951-2253, poneill@eapdlaw.com
July 13, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Aimed at cutting Europe's reliance on energy from Russia, Turkey and five European Union nations today signed a landmark agreement to run a gas pipeline from the Caspian Sea area to Europe via Turkey. Energy risk-management expert Mark T. Williams, who teaches finance in the School of Management, can discuss what this could mean for global energy trade.
Contact Mark T. Williams, 617-358-2789, williams@bu.edu
July 13, 2009 at 10:18 am
Alcohol consumption -- one to two drinks a day -- lowers the risk of dementia, based on a six-year study of people aged 75 years or older. Although there is no explanation why a moderate amount of alcohol is good for the brain, Robert Stern, Co-Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Clinical & Research Programs, cited studies where the reverse -- abstinence -- lowers the risk of liver disease, breast cancer, colorectal disease, and diabetes.
July 13, 2009 at 10:14 am
Reports say BusinessWeek, which lost 30 percent of its ad revenue in the second quarter, is up for sale. College of Communication Professor Lou Ureneck, a former deputy editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer who now chairs the Journalism Department, can discuss how this fits into the dismal economic state of the news media.
Contact Lou Ureneck, 617-353-4095, lureneck@bu.edu
July 13, 2009 at 9:45 am
Washington eyes are on Sonia Sotomayor as she appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee considering her nomination to the Supreme Court. School of Law Professors Jack Beermann, a SCOTUS authority, and Jay Wexler, who clerked for Ruth Bader Ginsberg, can offer perspective on the hearings and the court's future.
Contact Jack Beermann, 617-353-2577, beermann@bu.edu; Jay Wexler, 617-353-2789, jaywex@bu.edu
July 10, 2009 at 12:18 pm
In a recent post on Politico.com's "The Arena" blog, political expert Thomas Whalen, a professor of social sciences in the College of General Studies, writes "the admission erodes the public's already waning confidence in our intelligence community." Whalen can be reached at tjw64@bu.edu
July 10, 2009 at 9:00 am
School of Education professor Charles S. White was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to serve as a member of the Massachusetts Special Commission on Civic Engagement and Learning. The purpose of the Commission is to assess the status of civic education from kindergarten through undergraduate college education in Massachusetts. Activities will involve investigating the best practices, including service learning and other academic programs, that might serve as models for improving civic engagement and learning in the Commonwealth. Please contact White at cswhite@bu.edu.
