Untitled Document

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

NOTE ON FORMATTING: When stories are transferred from the Web, certain punctuation marks and other marks in this report don't carry over and result in symbols and other formatting errors. To see or print the story in full without these translation errors, simply click on "full story" at the end of each item."

Total Clips: 7

	Date	Outlet
Panel defends method of finding a new president	04/04/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
Auburn citizens like their city	04/04/2007	Opelika-Auburn News
Grass-fed beef project expands to Clemson's Edisto REC	04/04/2007	Southeast Farm Press
Gas prices pumped up	04/04/2007	Cullman Times, The
AuburnBank chairman selected Lowder visiting Executive	04/04/2007	Birmingham Business Journal
Education Brief	04/03/2007	Birmingham News
Experts: consumers Can Protect Themselves Against Pharmacy Errors	04/02/2007	The Blotter (ABC News blog)


Panel defends method of finding a new president 04/04/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Amy Weaver		Return to Top
Three members of the Auburn University Presidential Search Advisory Committee defended their actions in the quest to find a new campus leader before a small number of AU professors Tuesday afternoon. Dr. Bill Trimble, the outgoing president of the AU chapter of American Association of University Professors, said the forum was intended to provide professors with answers to questions about the lengthy and quiet process that lead to the hiring of Dr. Jay Gogue March 22. Gogue has been president of the University of Houston and the chancellor of the UH System since 2003. He is expected to take over for President Ed Richardson July 16. The small number of faculty present didn't voice concern over the selection of Gogue, but rather the process that lead to one, sole candidate emerging for the final interviews. Drs. Conner Bailey and Cindy Brunner, as well as trustee and committee chairman Charles McCrary were on the defense. Brunner said it was difficult because names couldn't be made public until the near end, if at all, and the state open meetings law prevented the committee from meeting as a group and discussing individual candidates. McCrary had said throughout the process names could not be announced because the publicity could potentially jeopardize the current employment of people interested in the Auburn job. Brunner believed Auburn would have lost a majority of its "big caliber" candidates had named been announced prematurely. "This is not the process I would have designed," said Brunner, who was pleased with the result. "But I would never argue the end justifies the means." Bailey said other states, other university searches may be more open, but "we never would have gotten someone like Jay Gogue to apply" had the process been as open as say, Tennessee, where he said every name of every applicant was made public. Professor Dave Cicci, the current president of the University Faculty and Senate, admitted he would rather have "one outstanding candidate" come to campus than the kind of candidates who are in contention for the presidency at West Virginia University - the president of Portland State University, the provost at Kansas State University, and an attorney. The trio credited Korn/Ferry International for not only helping the committee follow the law during the search, but also for finding Gogue. McCrary said the Auburn alum was not among the original 65 applicants who expressed interest in the job. Gogue was interviewed along with about 16 others, but he didn’t emerge as a true candidate until late in the game. Although some may still question it, Bailey said the process was the best choice for Auburn. If it had been any other way, he was confident the candidate pool would not have produced the kind of leadership AU has been desperately needing for six years.
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Auburn citizens like their city 04/04/2007 Opelika-Auburn News Lindsay Field		Return to Top
Survey shows residents believe city is 'very desirable' place to live According to recent citizen survey results, Auburn remains a "very desirable" place to live. The ETC Institute administered the DirectionFinder survey for the City of Auburn as part of the city's ongoing effort to assess citizen satisfaction with the quality of city services. The city has been administering the survey for nearly 20 years. "Auburn continues to be a very desirable place to live, it's 20 percent above the national averages in many categories," said Chris Tatham with ETS. "Auburn has one of the highest response rates in the country, which is a pretty good indicator of what Auburn residents think about their community." A six-page survey was mailed to a random sample of 1,500 households in Auburn. Of the residents who received the survey, 280 completed it by phone and 469 returned it by mail for a total of 749 completed surveys, a 50 percent response rate. "This is an important tool we use in our planning process, as a grading scale from our citizens," said City Manager Charlie Duggan. "We have a lot to be proud of in this city, and I think the results speak for themselves." Duggan commended the staff on their "excellent" work and added that while there are areas that the survey shows need improvements, the 96 percent satisfaction rate "speaks for itself," and a lot of the concerns listed are already being addressed by the city. "You guys do a great job, and this is money well spent," said Dick Phelan, Ward 6. "The city and residents get a lot out of the surveys each year." According to the survey: * 91 percent were satisfied with quality of Auburn's public school system; * 87 percent were satisfied with quality of life in Auburn, overall satisfaction with the "value of city taxes and fees" and the "image of the city" rated in the top 25 percent of the cities in the nation; * 88 percent were satisfied with quality of local fire protection; * 84 percent were satisfied with overall quality of police protection; * 94 percent were satisfied with Auburn as a place to raise children; * 96 percent were satisfied with Auburn as a place to live; * 86 percent were satisfied with Auburn as a place to work; * 47 percent had called or visited the City with a question of complaint over the past year; of those 81 percent found it very easy or somewhat easy to reach the person they needed to reach; 19 percent found it difficult; * 28 percent thought Auburn University students had a positive impact on their neighborhood, 20 percent thought they had a negative impact; 44 percent thought they had no impact and 7 percent did not have an opinion; * Residents in the northwest portion of Auburn, which includes the Willow Creek Subdivision, Farmville Road and North Donahue Drive, were dissatisfied with the erosion and sediment control regulations; * Residents in the southwest portion of Auburn, which includes areas off Shell Toomer Parkway, were dissatisfied with the zoning regulations; and * Residents in a portion of southwest Auburn were dissatisfied with the east of north-south travel in Auburn by car on roads such as Donahue Drive, College Street, Gay Street and Dean Road; and the east of east-west travel on roads such as Glenn Avenue, Thach Avenue and Samford Avenue. Conclusions or recommendations for action included: * The city should continue to place a high priority on improvements to traffic flow and street maintenance; * The city should increase efforts to stop speeding in neighborhoods; and * The city should increase enforcement of zoning regulations and erosion/sediment control regulations. For more information or to view the survey, visit the City of Auburn online, www.auburnalabama.org. Click on "City Council Materials" under News Bulletin. Copies may also be picked up at the Auburn Public Library or viewed at Auburn City Hall.
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Grass-fed beef project expands to Clemson's Edisto REC 04/04/2007 Southeast Farm Press Tom Lollis		Return to Top
AU agricultural research is mentioned in this story. Beef cattle can find something to eat 12 months out of the year in pastures across the Southeast. That advantage gives beef producers in the region a chance to take some of the market from cattle that are finished on grain in the Midwest. That's why Clemson University and Auburn University have joined the Pasture Based Beef Systems for Appalachia, a research program also involving the USDA/ARS, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and West Virginia University. "There is a growing demand for forage-fed beef across the country," said Steve Meadows, resident director at Edisto Research and Education Center. Over the next five years he will supervise development of a herd of 150 brood cows to help identify the genetics for herd improvement, develop suitable forage systems and produce a better steak. "Grass-fed beef has certain nutritional advantages," said Meadows. "Forage-fed beef is leaner than grain-fed beef and contains greater concentrations of desirable fatty acids and antioxidants. Pasture-raised animals contain less total fat and saturated fat per serving than those finished in a feedlot." He said research has shown that beef cattle naturally produce a potent anticarcinogen — conjugated linoleic acid. Forage fed beef contains twice the amount of this anticarcinogen than beef from a grain diet. The search for the best cattle breeds for forage systems has already begun with 30 head of Angus and Hereford. The project will also look at which forage species are suitable for finishing cattle in this area and how they impact meat quality. The proof will be on the plate. Within two years Edisto REC will have beef ready for tenderness and taste panel testing. "More than ever consumers want their food to be produced in an environment that minimizes the use of pesticides and antibiotics," said Meadows. "This project minimizes animal confinement, reduces the concentration of animal waste, and replaces cereal grains such as corn and oats with forages that grow readily here." A switch from feedlots to pastures would have the added benefit of reducing the nation's biosecurity risks. He said farms both small and large will be able to benefit from the project's research, whether they run cow-calf operations or do custom grazing and finishing. e-mail: tlollis@clemson.edu
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Gas prices pumped up 04/04/2007 Cullman Times, The Evan Belanger		Return to Top
AU economist Daniel Gropper is quoted as a source of information for this story. Gasoline prices climbed to a regional average of $2.48 per gallon over the weekend, and economists say motorists should expect more of the same for much of the summer. Nationally, the price of crude oil climbed 3-percent Thursday, hitting $66.03 per barrel — up $1.95 from the day before. The jump helped push the national, average price for driving fuel up to $2.65 per gallon of gasoline and $2.67 per gallon of diesel, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Economists are not optimistic about any significant price relief taking effect anytime soon. "I think there can be a little bit of movement up or down, but the longer-term trend is that it's going to go up," said Auburn University economist Daniel Gropper Monday. Early in the year, domestic petroleum prices were in a downward trend as Gulf Coast oil rigs came back on line after sustaining damage in Hurricane Katrina in 2005. According to Gropper, a sharp increase in demand last month combined with a fairly static supply has canceled out most of the price reduction. In Cullman Monday, gasoline prices were slightly higher than the regional average, but lower than the national average, ranging from $2.49 to $2.59 per gallon. Demand: Much of the recent rate hikes can be attributed to increased demand as a result of summer driving. Spurred by warmer-than-normal weather and a strong economy, drivers are hitting the road more often and spending more time driving than they did over the winter. While there tends to be an increase in demand during the summer, economists say it is hitting months earlier this year than it normally does, and it’s not clear when or where it will peak. "In the next couple months, prices will continue to increase, but not much more than they already have," Gropper said. "But that's just a seat-of-the-pants guess." Supply: Also contributing to the price hikes, overall supply has not kept up with increasing demand since OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) began cutting oil production last year in response to falling crude-oil prices. Supply is also being impacted globally by increasing consumption in China and India, which are going through periods of economic growth that far exceed growth in the United States. Iran: Despite hints of possible conflict resolution, the dispute between Britain and Iran over 15 captured British sailors and marines continued Monday. The debate is helping to push prices higher with investors fearing possible sanctions against Iran could halt oil shipments from the world’s fourth-largest oil producer. If sanctions are enacted, they will likely decrease world crude oil supplies further. Iranian authorities promised Monday to stop television broadcasts of captured the military personnel confessing they accidentally invaded Iranian waters. The crew was captured by Iranian forces March 23 while operating a small craft in the Persian Gulf. British officials originally contested Iranian claims that the boat had strayed into Iranian waters and demanded the crew's return, but agreed Monday to discuss possible measures to avoid any confusion over Iranian territorial waters in the future. Long term: In the long term, annual gasoline prices in the U.S. have been increasing by an average of 30 cents per year since 2002. The largest increase was in 2005, when the average, annual price jumped 45 cents from the year before. The highest average, annual price was recorded last year at $2.52 per gallon. According to economists, U.S. drivers should not expect relief any time soon. "As all these economies are growing very rapidly around the world, it puts additional pressure on prices," Gropper said. "I just don’t think we're going to see $1.50 or $2 gas again."
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AuburnBank chairman selected Lowder visiting Executive 04/04/2007 Birmingham Business Journal		Return to Top
E.L. Spencer Jr., chairman of AuburnBank, will be the Lowder Visiting Executive on March 16 at the Auburn University's college of business. Spencer, a 1952 Auburn graduate in business, will speak to several classes and will be honored at a noon luncheon. He also will host a roundtable discussion with MBA students and executive society members. The Loachapoka native began his business career with his family's Auburn lumber company, E.L. Spencer Lumber Co. He became chairman of Auburn National Bank (now AuburnBank) in 1980. The Robert and Charlotte Lowder Visiting Executive-in-Residence program offers students and faculty the chance to meet with prominent business executives. Robert Lowder is CEO of Colonial BancGroup and is a member of the Auburn Board of Trustees.
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Education Brief 04/03/2007 Birmingham News		Return to Top
This roundup of education events includes civil rights activist C.T. Vivian's lecture at AU today. The University of Alabama department of theatre and dance will present the Dance Alabama Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. nightly Wednesday through Saturday in the Morgan Auditorium on Colonial Drive. A kids performance will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $12 for the general public, $10 for UA faculty, staff and senior citizens, and $8 for students. Tickets can be bought at the box office in Rowand-Johnson Hall. The Rev. C.T. Vivian, colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will deliver a talk, "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Prophet for Our Age," at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Room 112 of Auburn University's Thach Hall. At 3 p.m., an audio recording of King's "Beyond Vietnam" address will be presented. From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., a reception will be held for Vivian at the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 450 E. Thach. Edward O'Neil Jr., director of the Center for Health Professions at the University of California at San Francisco, will give the University of Alabama's New College Distinguished Alumni Lecture, called "The Future of Health Care in America," at 8 p.m. Thursday in 205 Smith Hall. Wallace State-Hanceville's annual Cultural Arts Week is April 9-15 and will feature an appearance by storyteller and author Kathryn Tucker Windham. Windham will speak at 9:30 a.m. on April 12 in the Student Center Theatre.


Experts: consumers Can Protect Themselves Against Pharmacy Errors 04/02/2007 The Blotter (ABC News blog) Avni Patel		Return to Top
The recent ABC News "20/20" undercover pharmacy investigation underscores the need for patients to seek important information about their medications, pharmacy experts say. "Patients view pharmacy, too often, like fast food," said Bruce Berger, who heads the department that designed and supervised the study at Auburn University's School of Pharmacy. "They just simply don't understand that medicine is so much more powerful than it used to be, and it has the ability to help as well as harm." Dr. Berger recommends that patients make sure they leave the pharmacy with a clear understanding of how their drug works, the likely side effects and the dangers of drug interactions. "The harm can come from interactions from other medicines they're taking, which includes medicine they're not getting from the pharmacy, in other words herbals, non-prescription drugs," says Berger. Berger recommends that patients alert the pharmacist to all medications they're on, including any prescriptions filled at other pharmacies. The ABC News "20/20" undercover field study of prescription dispensing at the country's best-known chain drug stores found that in more than one in five cases, chain pharmacies made some type of error in filling the prescriptions, although none of the errors included the wrong drug or dosage. Researchers also saw dramatic reduction in time spent on patient counseling by pharmacists, compared to a decade ago when ABC News and Auburn conducted a similar field test. "I hope the patients will create a demand to get the pharmacists out at the cash register, or even better, the counseling area where they can counsel them properly," says Dr. Betsy Flynn of Auburn University's School of Pharmacy, who designed and supervised the study. The Auburn experts says patients can help avoid a prescription error by taking the following steps: -Know what you're taking and why. The information can help the pharmacist determine the medication in case of poor handwriting or difficulties reaching the doctor. -Many prescriptions now come with a physical description written on the vial. Compare what's in the bottle to the description. -Take time to wait for the pharmacist, even if he or she is not available immediately. Not only can they provide important information, counseling will increase the chance of catching any error.
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