Purdue Story Ideas
Purdue Story Ideas
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JOURNALISTS: Here are story ideas and a list of selected Purdue events during the next two weeks. December 16, 2002 STORY IDEAS 1. Purdue economist can talk about Bush tax cut
Purdue economist can talk about Bush tax cutEliminating taxes on dividends, the centerpiece of President George Bush's fiscal stimulus package, is good long-term strategy but may be ill-timed, says Gerald J. Lynch, a professor of economics and associate dean at Purdue University's Krannert School of Management. "The United States is one of only a small number of nations that taxes dividends twice," Lynch says. "Because corporations already pay taxes, the tax on interest is a double tax and is a negative factor in the long-term growth of the economy. That needs to be corrected." What Lynch questions is the proposal's timing. If the United States becomes embroiled in an expensive war with Iraq, money can come from only two sources – increased taxes or increased borrowing, which increases the government deficit. So while nearly everyone agrees the economy needs a stimulus, Lynch says ending taxation on dividends in the face of war may not provide an economic impetus in the short term and could lead to mounting deficits. "I'm a conservative economist who is skeptical about the strategy," he says. The president is scheduled to announce his stimulus strategy today (Tuesday, 1/7) during a speech in Chicago. CONTACT: Lynch, (765) 494-4388, lynch@mgmt.purdue.edu. Purdue licenses baby monitor to Indy companyThe Purdue Research Foundation will license technology to an Indianapolis company that provides doctors with a more advanced way to take vital signs of premature infants. The announcement will be made during a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday (1/8) in the atrium of the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. The atrium is located in the hospital's Wishard Drive main entrance, and parking is available across the street at the Wilson Street garage. Directions are available on the Web. Speakers will include Joseph Hornett, senior vice president and treasurer of the Purdue Research Foundation; a representative from the company chosen to commercialize the technology; and Anne Shane, project manager for the Central Indiana Life Sciences Initiative. Following the news conference, a tour of the hospital's neonatal unit will provide journalists with photo and video opportunities, as well an opportunity to interview parents of premature infants. CONTACT: Jeanine Phipps, public relations director, Purdue Research Park, (765) 496-3133, jeanine@purdue.edu. Purdue student tracking system put to usePurdue University expects to be one of the first universities in the nation to use the Immigration and Naturalization Service's new international student tracking system's batch transmission method later this month. Beginning today (Monday, 1/6) the university began receiving new students from abroad for the spring semester. Enrollment of new international students will continue through this week, said Michael Brzezinski, director of Purdue's Office of International Students and Scholars. Since September, Purdue, in conjunction with Newfront Software, has led the way in testing a method for transmitting large amounts of data on international students for a new federally mandated tracking system. All universities in the United States that enroll international students are required to begin using the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, by Jan. 30. Universities will use the system to send student information to the government, and the data will then be used by the INS to track international students. Purdue currently has 5,015 international students — 2,101 undergraduates and 2,914 graduate and professional students. About 250 new international students are expected to enroll this spring. Related stories on Purdue's use of the new student tracking software and SEVIS are available on the Web at: • https://www.purdue.edu/uns/uns/html4ever/020930.Ivy.international.html • https://www.purdue.edu/uns/uns/html4ever/021113.Ivy.international.html CONTACT: Brzezinski, (765) 494-7084, mbrzezinski@purdue.edu; Michael Ivy, director of International Programs Information Technology, (765) 496-6421, abadon@purdue.edu. U.S.-Middle East media coverage plays role in conflictA Purdue University expert says there is cause for concern about the U.S. media coverage in the Middle East. Yahya Kamalipour, professor and head of the Department of Communication and Creative Arts at Purdue University's Calumet, Ind., campus, is one of a handful of researchers who studies mass media in the Middle East. "One of the problems with the U.S. media coverage regarding the Middle East is the media's tendency to follow the Bush administration's agenda," said Kamalipour, an expert in mass and international communication. "Therefore, the media is often one-sided. Also, in mainstream media you see the media often consult experts who are members of the administration or retired politicians. This represents a limited diversity of opinion and expertise. "In our democratic country, it's fundamental for the public to be informed so they are able to participate in the democratic process and make good decisions based on reliable information." Kamalipour is the author of half a dozen books including "Global Communication" and "The U.S. Media and the Middle East: Image and Perception." His next book "Globalization, Media Hegemony and Social Class" will be published next year. He also is editor of Global Media Journal. Kamalipour can talk about the role of international and domestic media in the Middle East, such as the Al-Jazeera Television Network. He also can discuss the changing image of the United States around the world. CONTACT: Kamalipour, kamaliyr@calumet.purdue.edu, (219)989-2880. Purdue professors return from AfghanistanA Purdue University professor has recently returned from Kabul University in Afghanistan after traveling to the country to assess progress in rebuilding the university. Kevin McNamara, an agricultural economics professor, made the trip in early December along with two other Purdue representatives. Ray Eberts, director of Continuing Engineering Education and associate professor of industrial engineering, and Wasim Anwar, a Purdue graduate student, also made the trip. Anwar, an Afghan-American who was born in Kabul, has been living in the United States since 1983. "We went by Habibia High School. It was destroyed during the civil war of the early 1990s. It was locked and the interior was gutted," McNamara said. "There was no indication that anything was being done to rebuild the school. This was one of the better high schools in the city. Many students who graduated from Habibia went on to university, and many then to the United States or Europe for graduate studies." McNamara did see signs of hope. "I noticed a lot of improvement over the last time I was there," he said. "The wrecked planes along the runway had been moved. Several main roads in the city had been repaired and repaved. Homes were being rebuilt and storefronts were reopening." Perhaps the most encouraging signs came from the vendors in the market. McNamara said they were optimistic about improved economic and social opportunity. "Farmers from just north of Kabul said last year was the first time they've been able to get a crop from their land in 15 years," he said. The vendor's fields were located along the front line of the civil unrest - in recent years between the Taliban and Northern Alliance fighters. The next step in the quest to rebuild Kabul University is planned for April when several Afghan faculty members are scheduled to travel to Purdue. "While they're here, they'll look at our curriculum and how new technology is integrated into teaching and research," McNamara said. This was McNamara's second trip to Afghanistan for the purpose of helping with rebuilding efforts at Kabul University. Last March McNamara and two other Purdue professors met with Afghan government and education officials to assess the university's needs. CONTACT: McNamara, (765) 494-4236, mcnamara@purdue.edu. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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