On Mar. 7,  speaker Mary Davis, assistant professor in the department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, will present on her research involving the relationship between economics and public health. When asked about her inspiration for this connection, Davis responded:

“I started working on a large epidemiologic study at Harvard investigating the connection between exposure to diesel exhaust and lung cancer. Since cancer takes a long time to develop, we needed to understand what exposures looked like in the past before environmental monitoring data were available. So I started looking into filling in the gaps with economic data, with the hypothesis that greater levels of economic activity generate air pollution.”

The theme of this semesters TIE Talks is Environmental Justice. Davis offered her own perspective on this semesters theme:

“For me, the term environmental justice broadly encompasses any group that is disproportionately exposed to environmental harm, especially those without the political clout to effect change.”

Moreover, the TIE Talks create another arena for environment-related discussion. Davis commented on the significance of the TIE Talks:

“I think that the TIE Talks provide an excellent opportunity to bring visibility to environmental issues on campus.”

TIE was started as a result of a growing need for more environmental programs and activities at Tufts. Since then, it has supported numerous research projects and events.Today, TIE continues to build more awareness and attention for environmental research, teaching and leadership.

Mary Davis’ lecture will be held Wednesday Mar. 7, 4:30 to 6:30pm, TIE Conference Room, Miller Hall.

Each Friday, in room 155 in the Granoff Music Building, a professor or administrator from one of Tufts varying disciplines presents their work, giving students a special opportunity to learn about research that may not have otherwise been able to experience.

Now in it’s fifth week, President Anthony Monaco will be stepping up to the podium to discuss his research experience, which spans from his days as a doctoral candidate at Harvard to his work as senior scientist and head of the Human Genetics Laboratory at Oxford. President Monaco was kind enough to answer some questions about his upcoming appearance.

Why is it important for you to give the students at Tufts a chance to see you as a researcher in addition to being the university’s president?

I have spent the past 30 years of my career being an active researcher in the field of human genetics and neuroscience. It is only in the last five years that I have pursued my interests in university administration, in addition to my research. Therefore, it is important for students to understand that their president has made significant contributions to the field of human genetics and understands the importance of interdisciplinary research in trying to find solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.

Can you discuss how you decided on your research concentration that led to the two discoveries you are presenting on?

The first major discovery was the identification of the gene for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) during my Ph.D. studies in 1986. I was enrolled in Harvard Medical School’s program in neuroscience, which offered projects and faculty supervisors from all the Harvard departments and affiliated hospitals. It was through this program that I was introduced to Louis Kunkel at Children’s Hospital where he proposed to identify the gene for DMD and I immediately wanted to work with him. Several years later we were successful and many insights into the disease followed from this discovery. The second major discovery was the identification of the gene, FOXP2, in 2001 as mutated in severe speech and language disorders. This interest stemmed from my neuroscience background together with my expertise in human genetics. The identification of the FOXP2 gene was the first evidence for the involvement of genes in human speech and provided insights into the evolution and function of genes in language development.

Why do you think interdisciplinary research at Tufts is important for the university?

Many of the world’s greatest challenges will not be sufficiently addressed through the research of single disciplines. In most cases, breakthroughs in solving societies biggest problems will come at the cross-roads between disciplines and when researchers from different disciplines collaborate. Therefore, I think Tufts is well placed to leverage its disciplinary strengths across its various schools and campuses to better integrate our activities to provide innovative and more complete solutions.

President Monaco’s lecture will be held Friday March 2, Noon to 1pm, Room 155 in the Granoff Music Building. A light lunch will be  provided after the presentation.

One of the biggest benefits of the new calendar is the ability to embed customizable event widgets on other websites.  Tufts Now will be the first website to use these widgets, including a Featured Events widget on the homepage and in the sidebars of article pages.

Please help us populate the calendar with the best Tufts has to offer by submitting and sharing your events.

The discussion touched on their backgrounds, their careers and making names for themselves before social media. Junior Joshua Kapelmen commented via twitter:

This talk with @tuftsculinary is one of the best I’ve been to at Tufts. Puck, Boulud and Barber talking about entrepreneurship and life

Following the discussion, those lucky enough to get tickets enjoyed a brunch in the Coolidge Room of Ballou Hall. Chef Daniel Boulud snapped a few photos at the brunch, including this one of his daughter Alix, a current Tufts undergrad.

If you missed the event, our tweeted recap is right here.

Sponsored by: Experimental College, Tufts Dining Services, Tufts Culinary Society, and Programming Board.

If you missed her talk, we’ve got the recap here.

Dr. Karan’s presentation offered insight into this movement and offered examples from around the world of innovators, who have different business models, growth strategies and financing mechanisms, but share one common objective: to deliver high quality, sustainable impact.

Dr. Karan serves as Director of Global Strategy at Riders for Health, a social enterprise that delivers health services to over 10 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.

The forum is sponsored by Tufts University’s Communications and Media Studies Program, the Edward R. Murrow Center of Public Diplomacy, and the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service.

The panel discussion on policy and advocacy featured the following participants:
Moderator: Greg Proper, A01, managing director, Be the Change, Inc and executive director, ServiceNation

Panelists:

• Christina Economos, N96, associate professor and New Balance Chair, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
• Rachel Hoff, A04, director of external affairs, The Foreign Policy Initiative
• Mitchell Robinson, A07, student. Northwestern University School of Law
• Carl Sciortino, A00, Massachusetts state representative, 34th Middlesex District