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Newsletter Volume 8 Issue 19 - June 29, 2022


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Contact by email:
Director

Program Coordinator


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Your financial support is greatly appreciated and needed.

Upcoming Events





Lunch Colloquium

Ighovwerha Ofotokun

THURSDAY, July 7, 2022

11:30 - 1:00 pm

Zoom Registration










Lunch Colloquium

Terri Montague

Monday, July 18, 2022

11:30 - 1:00pm

Zoom Registration










Message from the Director


An Opinion


The Supreme Court released two controversial rulings during the past week--one striking down a restrictive New York gun law and the other overturning Roe v Wade, which guaranteed the right to abortion anywhere in the United States. I know that both rulings are controversial and there are strong opinions regarding both decisions. 

 

However, I’d like to share my perspective on both those recent decisions. As a young nurse I saw the damage that gunshot wounds can cause, particularly to adolescents and young adults who survived gunshot wounds to the head and spinal cord. And all of us have seen the devastation caused by recent mass shootings.


On a more personal level, I know several women and men who chose to terminate a pregnancy. During the 1950s, my mother-in-law, then in her late 30s and pregnant with her third child, contracted rubella from one of her elementary-school-aged children. Because of the significant risks to the fetus associated with contracting rubella during the first trimester, she chose to terminate the pregnancy. Although abortion was illegal in the state where they lived, she was fortunate that it was legal in New York, only a short distance from their home in Princeton, NJ. Many women don't have the option to travel to another state, and several states are discussing measures to prohibit women from leaving their state to seek an abortion.

 

A little over a year after abortion was legalized throughout the United States in 1973, my younger sister had an abortion during her freshman year of college. I found out about it when I got a call from my parents asking if it was possible that she had developed a wound infection from an emergency appendectomy she had undergone a few weeks earlier. After assuring my parents that wound infections were possible, I called my sister and found out the full story behind the “wound infection.” She’d had an abortion and filled a prescription for antibiotics at the Student Health pharmacy. As a result, the charge for the antibiotics showed up on her u-bill, which was mailed each month to our parents, and they began asking questions.

 

I’m very glad that my 18-year-old sister had the option to terminate her pregnancy, since my rather conservative parents would have been extremely upset about her getting pregnant out of wedlock. They were even angry about her marriage later that spring at the end of her freshman year (they were afraid she’d drop out of college, as she did after another semester).   

 

My late partner told me about the experience of supporting his girlfriend’s decision to get an abortion during the 1980s. When his girlfriend of a few months told him that she was pregnant, he immediately offered to marry her. She turned him down and instead sought an abortion, which he paid for. Although he told me that he would have enjoyed raising another child, he realized that his girlfriend was the one making a choice and he felt obligated to support her choice.

 

A few years later, his 15-year-old niece also had an abortion after becoming pregnant following a rape. Because they wanted to avoid gossip in their small town and condemnation from their church community in Mississippi, her mother took the girl to New Orleans for the procedure.  

 

I’m very thankful that the four people I described had choices. They all made the best choice for themselves under the circumstances. I’m sorry that now girls and women who are raped, have problems that potentially compromise their health or the health of the fetus, or know that the circumstances aren’t right for raising a child will no longer have a choice in many states. 

 

Upcoming Events and Other News


I hope everyone is having a relaxing and safe summer. Although community transmission of Covid-19 has decreased, new variants continue to evolve. If the risk of community transmission remains low, we are planning on resuming in person meetings this fall and celebrating the delayed 20th Anniversary of the Emeritus College founding.

 

Our next Lunch Colloquium will feature Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Professor of Medicine and Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, discussing “Post-Acute Sequalae of COVID-19…or Long COVID. Due to the July 4 holiday, this Colloquium has been scheduled on Thursday, July 7, at 11:30 am. We’ll return to our usual day on Monday, July 18, when Terri Montague, McDonald Distinguished Senior Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Law at the Emory Center for the Study of Law and Religion, will discuss “Demystifying and Meeting the Affordable Housing Challenge.”

 

Please scroll down to find several new member bios and the names of members who joined prior to retirement and now have attained emeritus status (some of those with bios, too).

 

Finally, I’d like to express my appreciation to Zoom Team members Gray Crouse and Ron Gould for their help with the recent Lunch Colloquiums, and to Marilynne McKay and Gretchen Schulz who diligently edit and proofread each newsletter.

  

 --Ann

PLEASE NOTE


Another Zoom update!

 

The most recent, as of this writing, is 5.11.0

 

If you have any problems getting the update, please contact Dianne at dianne.becht@emory.edu for more information.






Lunch Colloquium - Thursday, July 7, 2022

“Post-Acute Sequalae of COVID-19 . . . or Long COVID”


Ighovwerha Ofotokun, MD, MSc

Professor of Medicine and Professor of Behavioral Sciences

and Health Education


PLEASE NOTE:  THIS MEETING IS ON THURSDAY


Zoom Lunch Colloquium

11:30 - 1:00 pm



Clinician-scientist Dr. Igho Ofotokun has long been involved in Emory’s work with emerging infectious diseases and their consequences or sequalae. He has now been chosen as a Principal Investigator of the Atlanta hub of the nationwide NIH-funded initiative, Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER). Aimed at studying the long-term post-acute-sequalae of COVID-19 (PASC), the initiative seeks to understand the phenomenon that has come to be known as Long COVID so as to treat it better and perhaps prevent its occurrence. Today, Dr. Ofotokun will discuss what we currently know about the problem, including the burden of the lingering disease, the common clinical manifestations, the potential pathobiology, and the research effort he is helping to lead here at Emory and at other Atlanta-area institutions.


About Igho Ofotokun:


Igho Ofotokun is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine and Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. Since 2003 when he came to Emory, he has also been a Staff Physician in the Grady Memorial Health System Infectious Disease Program.

He received his BSc in Pharmacology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1983, his MB:BS from the University of Benin, Nigeria, in 1990, and his MSc from Emory in 2005. His postgraduate training includes an Internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan from 1995 – 1996, a Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan from 1996 – 1998, and a Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Michigan from 1999 – 2001.


He is a clinician-scientist much of whose career has been devoted to caring for individuals living with HIV and to combating the long-term sequalae (or consequences) of HIV among vulnerable populations. His work has focused especially on the care of women living with HIV/AIDS, and on mentoring early career investigators in patient-oriented research in women’s health. Following a BIRCWH Award won under the mentorship of Dr. Claire Pomeroy at the University of Kentucky in 2002, he went on to receive a NIAID-supported K-23 Award. At Emory, he built upon this earlier work and Emory’s research-rich environment to assume the leadership role in the field he has enjoyed ever since. He has served and is currently serving as the PI/co-PI of multiple NIH awards. Along with his co-PI Dr. Gina Wingood, he led the effort for the establishment of the NIH-funded Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) at Emory.

 

In recognition of his efforts in research and in the mentoring he cares so much about, he has received several mentoring awards including the Infectious Diseases Divisional Shanta Zimmer’s Mentoring Award in 2010, the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) National Research Award in 2013, and the Department of Medicine Shanthi V. Sitaraman Silver Pear Mentorship Award in 2014.

Given his extensive experience with the study of infectious disease, Dr. Ofotokun has recently been chosen as a Principal Investigator (PI) of the Atlanta hub of the nationwide NIH-funded initiative, Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER). Aimed at understanding the long-term post-acute-sequalae of COVID-19 (PASC), the initiative seeks to understand, prevent, and treat the phenomenon that has come to be known as Long COVID. He, another PI from Emory, and a third PI from Morehouse have assembled a team of scientists, clinicians, patients, and caregivers from the Atlanta area to take on the critical problem posed by the long-term effects of COVID.




 

Lunch Colloquium - Monday, July 18, 2022

“Demystifying and Meeting the Affordable Housing Challenge”


Terri Montague

McDonald Distinguished Senior Fellow and Senior Lecturer,

School of Law, The Center for the Study of Law and Religion


Zoom Lunch Colloquium

11:30 - 1:00 pm



As the US economy continues to recover from the global pandemic, the housing affordability crisis worsens, leaving public agencies, private developers, and community advocates scrambling to meet a growing demand and unmet housing needs. Meanwhile, millions of cost-burdened households daily live threatened with eviction or foreclosure and facing persistent inequality in housing opportunities. This presentation discusses the leading factors and conditions that contribute to the worsening housing affordability challenges facing American families and communities. It will highlight the significance and nature of the affordable housing challenge; overview the key housing system dynamics, drivers and conventional approaches; foreground evolving market dynamics and emerging strategies that can help to overcome current barriers and limitations of conventional approaches; and explore what current calls for “racial equity” may mean for future affordable housing policy and practices.


About Terri Montague:


Terri Montague is the McDonald Distinguished Senior Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Law in the Emory University School of Law and the Center for the Study of Law and Religion.


She received her BA in Economics from the University of Chicago and holds a Master’s degree in both City Planning and Real Estate Development from MIT, another Master’s in Religion from the Gordon-Conwell Seminary, another Master’s in Theological Studies from the Candler School of Theology, and a JD from Emory Law School.


Dr. Montague is a multi-disciplinary scholar, attorney, and leader.  She comes to Emory after seven years in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington.  She was Program Services Attorney, providing legal interpretation, advice, and services to program clients in the office(s) of Housing, Community Planning and Development, Public Housing, and the Departmental Enforcement Center on legal, program, and regulatory questions. In the Office of Deputy General Counsel for Housing Programs, she developed guidance, principles, and tools to systematically embed equity and redress inequities in HUD policies and programs. In the Office of Legislation and Regulations, she crafted the Department’s strategy and initial draft regulation to implement Executive Order 13891, “Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents.”


Prior to this recent work with HUD, she was the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of ATLANTA BELTLINE, INC., Atlanta, GA, from 2006 – 2009. She was also the President and Chief Operating Office for Enterprise Community Partners, INC., in Columbia, MD, from 2001 – 2006.


Such a remarkable combination of wide-ranging academic expertise and real-world experience has prepared Dr. Montague well for the work she is undertaking in her new position at Emory—work that will allow her to pursue her passion for thriving, sustainable communities, economic justice, and public theology.

Member Activities

Perry Sprawls -- Professor Emeritus of Radiology, recently published a paper for Medical Physics InternationalIt is based on his many years of experience teaching at Emory.  You can view the article by clicking here.

We would like to acknowledge many of our existing members who have recently acquired emeritus status -- please see below (with bios and photos provided by some).

Timothy Albrecht

Professor Emeritus of Music

Professor Albrecht received his DMA from the University of Rochester: Eastman School of Music in 1978. He was appointed to the Emory faculty in 1982 as Assistant Professor of Music in Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Assistant Professor of Church Music in Candler School of Theology. He was also appointed Emory University Organist.


His research focuses on the performance of and research on the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Professor Albrecht has performed organ recitals throughout the United States and in Europe, Asia, and South America. He taught music courses in Vienna for 30 summers and taught master classes at Juilliard and at international music festivals. He also composed 12 volumes of published Organ Grace Notes and recorded nine solo compact discs. He led the Master of Sacred Music and Master of Music in Organ Performance degree programs for 14 years and served as Emory University Organist for 40 years. 


“The Candler School of Theology component of my tripartite Emory appointment was as Professor of Church Music. This has afforded me the joy to also teach courses reflecting my faith as an intentional Christian. Over four decades that waxed and waned with both successes and failures in professional and personal life, my ongoing credo was a Bible passage from Job that I had learned as a very young boy: 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.'


For all that has transpired during this Emory watch I am both grateful and thankful.”



—Timothy Edward Albrecht

Marshall Duke

Charles Howard Candler Professor Emeritus of Psychology

Professor Duke received his PhD from Indiana University in 1968. After serving two years in the US Army Medical Service Corps, he was appointed to the Emory faculty in 1970 as Assistant Professor of Psychology. His research is in the area of Clinical Science and is largely focused on building resilience in the family context. His publications include more than 100 research articles and seven books. Most recently he has been working on a manuscript focused on resilience among the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. During his career at Emory, Professor Duke served as Chair of the Department of Psychology, as a faculty counselor to the Board of Trustees, and as mentor to 45 PhD students.


As evidenced by his many awards, including the Charles Howard Candler Chair, the Thomas Jefferson Award, and the Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, Marshall Duke is a cherished professor in the Emory Community. He is known as a master teacher in the classroom and an excellent mentor for junior faculty who are building their classroom teaching skills. Professor Duke also serves as an ambassador for Emory at alumni events, where he demonstrates his extensive ties to the global Emory community.


“After a half century of being blessed to work with young people who do not age while I do (!), I have come to realize that the mother tongue of teaching is the human relationship. As they themselves move forward in their lives, students often forget or find less useful the specific content in our courses, but, if we have done our work well, they do not forget the relationships which we formed with them. In this sense, all who teach do the same thing regardless of our discipline—we establish potentially life-long relationships and memories of the thrill of learning and the excitement of scholarship. We transmit the joy of simply knowing and model ways to think about ideas and facts be they ancient, modern or as-yet unknown. We teach them not what to think, but how.


We toss metaphorical pebbles into metaphorical ponds and produce ripples that extend and enlarge infinitely. We are there to see the first ripples but we rarely if ever know where they travel to and what they touch over time. Knowing that the ripples continue long after our pebbles hit the water is the intangible yet profound reward that comes to us as teachers. It is the reason why an academic career is such an honor and privilege. I have loved every minute of my 50 years at Emory. It has become a sacred place to me.”


—Marshall Perry Duke

 

Cornelius Flowers

Professor Emeritus of Medicine

 

Mary R. Galinski

Professor Emerita of Medicine


Robert Gaynes

Professor Emeritus of Medicine


Robert Gaynes, MD has been a full-time faculty member with Emory University School of Medicine since 2009. He has worked as an Infectious Disease Physician at the Atlanta VA Medical Center where he was Chair of the Infection Control Committee, Chair of the Antibiotic Stewardship Committee, and most recently, Chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Planning Committee.

           

He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine where he did his residency and Infectious Disease Fellowship. He was also in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at CDC. After completing his training, Dr. Gaynes worked as Hospital Epidemiologist and Infectious Disease Physician at the University of Michigan Medical Center before returning to the CDC as the Chief of the Surveillance Activity in the Hospital Infection Program. He is a Fellow in the Infectious Disease Society of America. He has been a consultant with the World Health Organization and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.


Upon retiring from CDC, he became Professor in Emory’s Department of Medicine/Division of Infectious Diseases. He developed technology in the computerized patient record system to optimize antimicrobial use and reduce nosocomial infections and antimicrobial resistance. He has given numerous lectures on these topics but also developed an interest in the History of Medicine. In 2011 he published an award-winning book, Germ Theory: Medical Pioneers in Infectious Diseases. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on the History of Medicine, receiving numerous teaching awards including the Dean’s Teaching Award in 2018. 

 

As Professor Emeritus, he is writing the second edition of Germ Theory, updating it on the discovery of HIV, the discovery of the role of H. pylori in peptic ulcer disease, and the COVID pandemic. He hopes to continue to teach the history of medicine seminars and become active with the Emeritus College.

 

Anne Hall

Senior Lecturer Emerita of Environmental Sciences


Professor Hall received her MS in Geochemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1985. She was appointed to the Emory faculty in 1995 as lecturer, part-time, full-time in 2005, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2011. She has served Environmental Sciences as Director of Undergraduate Studies since 2011 and as chair of the ENVS Undergraduate Committee from 2010-2018. In 2016, she received the Winship Award to research how to best teach complex interdisciplinary topics and had the opportunity to teach interdisciplinary courses focused on water with colleagues across the College. For over a decade, Professor Hall taught the required introductory field course, ENVS 131, and helped lead the development and ongoing improvement of the Environmental Sciences curriculum. 


“With the supportive leadership of ENVS chairs, Professors Bill Size, Lance Gunderson, and Uriel Kitron, I have had a very fulfilling career at Emory. Environmental Sciences has been an excellent home, with extraordinary faculty, staff, and students. Meeting students as they begin work in ENVS and teaching the required introductory field course have been very rewarding. The work has also provided a wonderful opportunity to engage our students outside the classroom, and it has been inspiring to see what unique set of experiences and coursework they choose as they continue their study.

Deeply felt thanks to all.


—Anne Larson Hall


 

Tom Heffner, Jr.

Professor Emeritus of Hematology and Medical Oncology

After graduating from Davidson College in NC, I obtained my MD degree at Wake Forest University and came to Emory in 1969 for training in Internal Medicine with a brief detour at Baylor in Houston and for the start of Hematology/Oncology training at the University of Miami before completing the training here at Emory.   I joined the Dept. of Medicine (which later became the Dept. of Hematology/Medical Oncology) in 1974 and have remained in it until my retirement this year. Most of those years were spent in general hematology with an emphasis on acute leukemia and more recently on taking care of patients with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia-and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and I have been active in clinical trials. Fortunately, during the early years I had wonderful guidance and mentoring from Jim Keller, whom I think you know well from his activity in the EC.  

 

Outside of work, I have enjoyed reading and bicycling and now enjoy time with my two grandsons here in Atlanta. Now that I am less regimented with work, I am hopeful to be able to enjoy the offerings of the Emeritus College.  I am very appreciative of help from John Boli in the Emeritus College in the retirement process these last months.



Ichiro Matsumura

Associate Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry

I joined the biochemistry department as a tenure-track assistant professor in 2000, retired in November 2021, and moved to Boulder, Colorado, where I work at a synthetic biology start-up.



Ken Protas

Assistant Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology

 

Charles Moran, Jr.

Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology

 

Winfield Sale

Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology

My wife, Mary, and I grew up in the East Bay Area of Northern California. I joined the Emory Cell Biology Department in 1980, after graduate studies at Cal Berkeley and postdoctoral studies in Hawaii and at the California Institute of Technology. For over 40 years, my research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, and I have had outstanding students and postdocs who are now successful educators, mentors, and investigators. I continue to enjoy collaborations with my trainees who now train me.

 

I have been a committed medical and graduate educator at Emory and have served on a number of university and medical school committees. I was honored to work as the Interim Chair of Cell Biology. I have had outstanding mentors at Emory including Jerome Sutin, Barry Shur, and Gary Bassell as well as members of the Cell Biology Faculty.

 

Mary and I continue to enjoy Emory University, and we often visit with our four grandchildren and families who live in Decatur. We have had a rich and rewarding life at Emory and in Atlanta.


Photo above: Win and Mary Sale in Utah.



Debra Saxe

Professor Emerita of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

 

Debra Saxe is a geneticist serving as the Director of Emory Cytogenetics Laboratory at Emory. During her 32 years at Emory, Dr. Saxe has directed clinical cytogenetics laboratories within the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Genetics, and Pediatrics. She has a lifelong interest in detecting chromosome abnormalities in patients with Down syndrome, autism, leukemias, and solid tumors, which helps to diagnosis and direct treatment. 

 

Dr. Saxe has served in leadership roles in multiple regional and national genetics societies. Her service in these organizations was particularly focused on creating and maintaining high national standards for clinical genetics laboratories.

 

Debra lives in Atlanta and loves spending time in her pottery studio, garden, and with her family. She also plans on continuing to travel the world.  



Sidney Stein

Professor Emeritus of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Sidney F. Stein MD Chair Emeritus in Hemophilia and Hemostasis

New Members


New members are the lifeblood of any organization.

Please make a special effort to welcome them to the EUEC!


We recently added quite a few new members to our database! Note: Newcomer Michael Crutcher has provided us with a short bio and photo. Other new members are welcome to do the same

  • Anne Burkholder -- Associate Dean of Methodist Studies, Candler School of Theology
  • Michael Crutcher -- Senior Lecturer Emeritus of Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology

Professor Crutcher received his PhD from John Hopkins University in 1982. He was appointed to the Emory faculty in 1991 as Assistant Professor of Neurology and joined the Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Program in Emory College of Arts and Sciences in 2008. His research focused on elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying visually guided reaching in monkeys and developing a new cognitive testing procedure to identify Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest possible stage. He had an active research laboratory from 1992 – 2004. During that time, he was involved in the teaching and administration of the Neuroscience PhD program. Since joining the Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Program in 2008, he has served as the Director of Assessment, Director of Undergraduate Research, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Chair of the Curriculum Committee.

  • Thomas Dodson -- Professor Emeritus of Surgery


  • Kirk Kanter -- Professor Emeritus of Surgery


  • Edward Mocarski -- Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology


  • Todd Preuss -- Professor Emeritus of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine


  • Phillip Reynolds -- Charles Howard Candler Professor Emeritus of Medieval Christianity and Aquinas Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology


  • Barry Ryan -- Professor Emeritus of Environmental Health




Walking the Campus with Dianne


The lamppost in honor of Henry Lumpkin Bowden from our last walk is not in front of Bowden Hall (as I would have expected), but is at the front left corner of the Administration Building on the main campus quad (see photo below on right). The inscription reads:


1976

Shining Light Award

In Honor of

Henry Lumpkin Bowden

Tireless Public Servant,

Eminent Lawyer.

Leader in Education,

Government, Civil Rights,

and Religion.

Atlanta Gas Light Co.

WSB Radio


"The Shining Light Award was established in 1963 by Atlanta Gas Light and News/Talk 750 WSB Radio. Each year the award recognized a Georgian who was an inspiration to the lives of others through service to humanity. A gas lamp and plaque are installed in their honor at a site of their choice."


It's been too darn hot for walking outside recently, so let's visit a nice cool indoor spot. This meeting room looks so inviting and comfortable and seems like an excellent place to visit on a warm day.

Where will you find this on the Emory campus?

Emory University Emeritus College
The Luce Center
825 Houston Mill Road NE #206
Atlanta, GA 30329