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Upcoming Events
Lunch Colloquium
MONDAY
February 25, 2019
Ron Gould
VIEW WEBCAST ONLINE
Lunch Colloquium
February 25, 2019
Ron Gould
Lunch Colloquium
TUESDAY
March 12, 2019
Liza Davis
VIEW WEBCAST ONLINE
Lunch Colloquium
March 12, 2019
Liza Davis
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Contact Other Members
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This issue of our newsletter is sent to members and friends of the Emory University Emeritus College (EUEC). I hope the newsletter will help keep you informed about our activities and help you feel connected with our members throughout the U.S. On the left are links to our website and links to contact either me or the EUEC office.
With best wishes,
Gray
Gray F. Crouse Director, EUEC
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 Message from the Director
Our Lunch Colloquiums continue to be well-presented with great attendance and lively discussions. Last week's was no exception, and it was fascinating to have many MDs present with their own experience of dealing with opioids as well as many who had experiences as patients being given opioid prescriptions that were neither needed nor wanted. Thanks to Carl Hug for his excellent presentation, to Jim Van Buren for his write up below that you can read, and to Don O'Shea for help in preparing the video that will soon be on our website. Videos of this semester's Lunch Colloquiums are prepared, but for technical reasons are not yet on our website-I am hoping this will soon be corrected!
We found out recently that Ren Davis, who was scheduled to talk next week, is having to postpone his presentation. We look forward to his talk at a later date and are extremely grateful to Ron Gould for agreeing to talk on short notice. It is no gamble to rely on Ron to give a great talk--you can read about his topic below.
We have lost several members recently, and member Mario DiGirolamo died the day after the previous newsletter's publication. I greatly appreciate hearing from members when they learn of someone's death. The fact that so many let me know of Mario's passing is an indication of how well known he was. Mario was a great example of a faculty member who in retirement developed in an area quite different from his professional expertise. He published two beautiful books of his photographs; these are available in our office if you would like to look at them. Linton Hopkins is another example of a member developing in a different direction: you can read about his newly published book on East Lake below.
Finally, I want to thank those members who are helping us present Retirement Seminars this semester. These are not only an important service to faculty who are not yet retired, but are also a great way for us to gain visibility on campus.
I am very grateful to Gretchen Schulz and Ann Hartle for help with editing and proofing.
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Lunch Colloquium--Monday, February 25
How I Gained an International Reputation as a Gambler
The Luce Center Room 130 11:30-1:00
Ronald J. Gould, Goodrich C. White Professor of Mathematics Emeritus
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Lunch Colloquium--Tuesday February 12
The Opioid Crisis 2019
Carl C. Hug, Jr., MD, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology Emeritus, School of Medicine
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New Members
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Faculty Activities
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Since our last newsletter, we have learned of the death of Mario DiGirolamo.
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We offer retirement seminars for faculty who are not yet retired. These seminars are on a variety of topics all aimed at helping to ease the transition into retirement. Our aim is not to compete with any other retirement seminars that might be offered on campus but to present topics that are not covered in those, or to present with a unique perspective. We have developed a great series for this semester, and I want to thank those who are presenting these--most our own members: February 28 "Can I Afford to Retire" by Peter Sebel March 18 "I'm Thinking about Retirement" by Steve Nowicki March 28 "Estate Planning" by Jeff Pennell
April 10 "The Emeritus College: Who We Are and What We Have to Offer You" Although these seminars are planned for faculty who have not yet retired, members are welcome to attend. Please do register if you plan to come. All of these seminars will be advertised on the home page of our website.
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Walking the Campus with Dianne
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Lunch Colloquium--Monday February 25
How I Gained an International Reputation as a Gambler Ronald J. Gould, Goodrich C. White Professor of Mathematics Emeritus In this talk I will relate the tale of how developing and then teaching a freshman seminar (titled "Mathematics in Games, Sports, and Gambling") here at Emory has caused me to develop an international reputation as a gambler, with strange events and unusual requests ensuing. Along the way I plan to share a few of the problems I pose in the freshman seminar to show students that mathematics, even simple mathematics, can be useful--and fun. In the process, for you as for them, I hope to "demystify" how mathematics is done, at all levels, including the far-from-simple, and give you at least a glimpse of the beauty all mathematicians see in our subject and our work. About Ron Gould Ron received a BS in mathematics from SUNY Fredonia, an MS in Computer Science from Western Michigan University, and a PhD in mathematics from Western Michigan University. He came to Emory in 1979 as an Assistant Professor and rose through the ranks, becoming Professor in 1990 and retiring in 2016. He has received numerous honors, including the Emory Williams Teaching Award, alumni awards from both SUNY Fredonia and Western Michigan University, and a Heilbrun Fellowship. He has published over 180 articles in scientific journals as well as several books and book chapters. He has directed 28 PhD and 26 Masters students. If you would like more information about Ron, you can visit his personal website by clicking here. |
Lunch Colloquium--Tuesday February 12
The Opioid Crisis in 2019
Carl C. Hug, Jr., MD, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology Emeritus, School of Medicine
Carl Hug MD, Emeritus Professor of Anesthesiology as well as a PhD in opioid pharmacology, treated us with a stimulating review of the status of the opioid crisis as of 2019. Hardly a day goes by without some mention in our news media of this huge and complex problem. Over the last 20 years there has been a large increase in the number of deaths due to opioid overdose as well as from other narcotics. In our own metro Atlanta community in 2016 there were 80 deaths from opioid overdose.
The CDC has identified many factors involved in this public health crisis. The risk of death due to respiratory suppression from these drugs increases when they are taken along with other CNS depressants such as alcohol, antidepressants, tranquilizers, etc., but people unaware of this fact often pay the price. The illegal use of heroin and other street drugs spiked with analogues of opioids contributes to this danger of death, as well. Again, users unaware of what's in their "fix" may easily overdose.
Our own healthcare system unwittingly adds to this problem. Big Pharma has pushed opioids as being mostly non-addictive. (There are large profits to be made in this industry as evidenced by the Sackler family that owns Purdue Pharmacy.) Doctors have been acting as though Big Pharma's promos were true, and there has been a huge increase in the number of prescriptions they have been offering patients across the country. Dr. Hug emphasized another primary reason for this increase. The requirement by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals to document pain as a fifth vital sign has put significant pressure on those in the medical professions to actively and aggressively treat pain, and that has helped to increase the number of opioid prescriptions. There are a large number of legal pain clinics issuing prescriptions, too, as well as "pill mills" and unethical physicians, some not legally practicing.
The recognition of this crisis has led to efforts to control opioid use and abuse though the Department of Justice has seemed reluctant to do much thus far. Still, there are monitoring systems now in place for the manufacture and wholesale distribution of drugs. The DEA is cracking down on pain mills and rogue doctors. The JCA has withdrawn the fifth vital sign mandate. And in many electronic medical records there is a limitation on the number of opioid drugs that can be prescribed. Many medical specialties have seen a decrease in opioid prescribing.
So where are we now with this complex problem? Certainly pain, especially cancer pain or other acute, short-lived pain, requires appropriate treatment, often with opioids. However, a recent study showed large numbers of patients had unused prescription opioids in their medicine cabinets confirming that an excessive number of pills are being prescribed. Care and follow-up of management of chronic pain needs to be dealt with more aggressively. (As a primary care physician, I was frequently concerned about patients given opioid prescriptions with no plans for follow-up by the prescribing physician.) There is ongoing concern about Big Pharma pushing opioids to make huge profits, and the Justice Department's failure to address this. And there is ongoing concern about the fact that China has been seeking huge profits, too, making and shipping analogues of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, to the U.S., though pressures have been brought to bear and they now seem to be backing off this practice. Recently the introduction and long-term use of e-cigarettes, especially in young people, are creating a whole new kind of addiction that presents its own set of serious problems. But Dr. Hug did offer some hope in this area as he closed with some discussion of the management of drug addiction of all kinds with such medications as methadone, buprenorphine, and Naloxone as well as with nonpharmacological programs such as AA, cognitive behavior treatment, and addiction treatment centers.
Following the formal talk there was a brisk Q&A period. Problems related to legalizing marijuana and its addicting properties were discussed. Several people raised concerns about being prescribed opioids without requesting them. And finally, I personally related fully to Dr. Hug's confessed addiction to ice cream!
--James K. Van Buren MD
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New Members
New members are the lifeblood of any organization. Please make a special effort to welcome them to EUEC!
Vladimir Oliker, PhD, Professor of Mathematics
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Faculty Activities
Linton Hopkins
Professor Emeritus of Neurology
EUEC Member Linton Hopkins is pleased to announce the availability of his new book, East Lake - Where Bobby Learned to Play, on amazon.com. This is the sequel to "Where Bobby Learned to Play," which was published in 1996 and 1998. It is history up to the present that includes the dramatic comeback of Tiger Woods in the 2018 Tour Championship. Tiger joins golfers who grew up at East Lake, Arnold Palmer as he plays in the 1963 Ryder Cup and Jack Nicklaus on a visit a few months earlier.
Linton says "I was writing for non golfers, which I am myself, given my swing and habits on the course. A strict rule is I never venture into the deep and dangerous bunkers at East Lake, so real golfers keep me at a safe distance. Neither of the two author friends who reviewed it on Amazon is a golfer. I'm encouraged by that. High hopes some members will enjoy it."
James M. Hughes Professor Emeritus of Medicine
An article on the CIDRAP website (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota) about superbug infections quoted new member Jim Hughes extensively. That article may be read by clicking here.
Brenda Bynum Senior Lecturer Emerita, Department of Theater Studies
Brenda Bynum is performing in The Vagina Monologues on February 19, 20, and 24. Brenda says:
I directed this piece at Emory 20 years ago and it was one of the best nights in the theater I ever had. All proceeds go directly to charity for a very, very good cause. PS: The theater is on the same corner with a couple of nice restaurants, including Miller Union, so it could be a lovely outing altogether. More information about the performances, ticket purchase, and location can be found by clicking here. Ninety percent of the proceeds will be going to Camp Cadi, a summer camp designed to help girls who are survivors of sexual abuse. Ten percent will be going to Eve Ensler's Spotlight Fund: Women in Prison, Detention Centers, and Formerly Incarcerated Women.
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In Memoriam
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Mario DiGirolamo at the June 20, 2016, Lunch Colloquium
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Mario DiGirolamo, born March 31, 1934, in Rome, Italy, died on February 5, 2019. He was one of the exhibitors (and award winners) at our 2015 Arts Exhibition in the Schwartz Center and gave a Lunch Colloquium on his life as a photographer in June, 2016, which is described in Volume 2, Issue 15 and Issue 16. Here is what was written about him at that time:
Mario DiGirolamo, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Physiology
EUEC Member Dr. Mario DiGirolamo's career in medicine and scientific research started in his native Rome, brought him to New York at Columbia University, and then to Emory and Atlanta, where he and his wife have lived for 42 years. His passion for photography started in his teen years and developed during many return trips to Italy and scientific conventions around the world. He has published two books of black and white photography, Sole e Ombra/Sun and Shadow in 2000 and Visione in 2015, with the work of the latter recognized in a special exhibit by Atlanta's Fine Art Photographic Gallery, Lumiere. In the Introduction to Visione, Brooks Jensen, editor of the renowned photographic magazine LensWork, describes DiGirolamo's photography as "filled with . . . the very stuff of life. It is the life in these pictures that makes them so interesting, while simultaneously being a testament to DiGirolamo's sensitive eye and skill with the camera. These photographs may not radically change our lives, but they will give us pause to consider the [value of the] fleeting moments in our [own] lives, a substantial gift from these images and DiGirolamo."
You can find out more about Mario and his photography by visiting his website: http://www.mariodigirolamo.com/. On his website is a short video in which he describes his background in photography, which you can view by clicking here.
(As of this writing, his website is still active.)
His complete obituary can be read by clicking here.
Note: We have copies of Mario's two photography books in the Emeritus College office if any members would like to look at them.
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Walking the Campus with Dianne
Did anyone recognize the Cox Hall Food Court from our last walk? The photo I supplied was looking through the glass doors on a sunny weekend morning -- as I mentioned, I took the photo before open hours; otherwise, it would have been full of people! Cox Hall Food Court provides many options for cuisine, such as Twisted Taco (I absolutely love their fried avocado taco), Rays New York Pizza, Maru, which serves rice bowls and Asian dishes, Mediterranean food, a salad bar, and even frozen yogurt. There is even a little convenience corner for various snacks, bottles of water, etc. Of course, the court is mostly filled with students, but you also see hospital visitors and Emory faculty and staff. For our next walk I want to share something that you may only really notice for a short period of time on a sunny day. When that happens, it's almost magical....I had never noticed these golden doors before the sun revealed them!
Where will you find this on the Emory campus?
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Emory University Emeritus College The Luce Center
825 Houston Mill Road NE #206 Atlanta, GA 30329 |
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