In Brief

Former Polish politico to speak

Grzegorz Kolodko--first deputy premier and minister of finance of Poland from 1994 to 1997--will speak on Friday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Lander Auditorium in Hutchison Hall. Kolodko is a key architect of Polish economic reforms. His current academic and research appointments make up an impressive list: professor at the Warsaw School of Economics, visiting fellow at the World Bank, and senior research fellow at Yale University. In addition, from 1997-1998, he was research professor at the United Nations World Institute for Development Economics Research.

On March 19, the economist will discuss "Democracy and Market: Polish Success and Russian Malaise." His talk is co-sponsored by the Russian Studies Program. He appears as part of the Skalny Lecture and Artist Series organized by the Center for Polish and Central European Studies. Skalny Series events are free and open to the public.

Are you a budding entrepreneur?

The Simon School is offering a course in entrepreneurship for University employees that examines the management skills and tools associated with innovation and new-business development.

The course targets individuals who are considering starting a business, as well as those who want to get better at recognizing potential new products and business opportunities generated by University research. The class will cover developing a business plan for a start-up, plus a broad range of new-venture topics from the perspective of the entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

Weekly classes will be held on Fridays, 1:30-4:30 p.m., April 9 through June 4. Classes will be augmented by guest lectures by local entrepreneurs, which will take place on Tuesdays, 5:50-7:20 p.m. All classes will be held in Schlegel Hall.

To obtain a tuition waiver from Human Resources, refer to personnel policy No. 304. Maximum class size is 30 students and the deadline for enrollment is March 19.

For more information call Kim Goetz, x5-4981.

Summer camp programs coming

The Science Adventures summer day-camp program will be at the University from June 28 to July 30. The five one-week camps are for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Each camp focuses on a different theme, ranging from space and rocketry to "fins and fangs." Preregistration can be done prior to March 30; the deadline for registration is May 25. Call 1-800-213-9796 for more information.

The ACE Computer Camp also will be on campus this summer for six weeks from June 27 to August 6. Presented by American Computer Experience, the camp is geared toward children ages 7 to 16. Faculty and staff whose children register for the camp receive a 25 percent discount. Registration deadline is June 1. For more information contact ACE at 1-800-386-4223 or www.computercamp.com.

Historic surgery done at Strong

The first living-related liver transplant in Upstate New York was successfully performed on a 6-month-old baby girl by surgeons at Strong Memorial Hospital. The recipient, Savannah Warner of Binghamton, was born with a rare congenital defect known as biliary atresia. Savannah's condition deteriorated so quickly that a living-related organ donation was the only option.

When tissue-typing tests proved that Savannah's father was a good match, surgeons removed the left lobe of his liver on February 8. Tests following Savannah's subsequent surgery show the new liver to be functioning normally. Her father's liver has since regenerated the lost lobe and grown back to its original size.

Medical Center physicians involved in the historic surgery were Luis Mieles and Oscar Bronsther, associate professors of surgery and directors of the pediatric liver-transplant program. Strong's 5-year-old liver-transplant program is the only one in Upstate New York.

Prof. observes elections in China

Melanie Manion, associate professor of political science at the College and an expert on rural governance in China, joined the first-ever international delegation observing recent township elections for government officials in China.

Though delegation members freely interviewed officials, reviewed electoral records, and visited other villages to observe elections, they reported irregularities in almost all stages of the election process.

"The best measures of good democratic procedure are whether a system offers genuine choice, a transparent nomination process, a secret ballot, and a public count," the delegation stated in a public announcement released in Beijing at the end of the January visit. "While we observed active discussion of public issues and some elements of representative responsibility, against these benchmarks the elections fell significantly short."

The delegation's trip came at the invitation of the government of the People's Republic of China to The Carter Center, an international, nongovernmental organization established to promote peace and health. It's chaired and founded by former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter.

LLE offers high school program

The Laboratory for Laser Energetics is offering its 11th summer research program to area high school juniors July 6 to August 25.

Up to 10 students will participate and attend related seminars. They will work 40 hours each week and receive $5.25 per hour. The experience culminates in student presentations during the final week.

The goal of the program is to expose students, especially women and underrepresented minorities, to research in science and technology in a realistic environment. In the past, several projects have led to recognition in national science competitions. Last year two students--Steven Corsello of Pittsford Mendon High School and Nieraj Jain of Pittsford Sutherland High School--were among just 300 nationwide who reached the semifinals of the Intel Science Talent Search.

Applications are due by March 24. For more information and application materials, contact the program's director, Stephen Craxton, at x5-9517.

Research participants needed

High blood pressure--African-Americans are needed for a study of Teveten, an investigational blood-pressure medication. Participation is for 12 to 18 weeks; medicine will be prescribed. Call x3-3972.

HIV--HIV patients with memory loss and a CD4 count of 300 or less are needed for a study of AIDS dementia. Volunteers can earn up to $150. Call Kim, x3-2114.

Sleep--Control subjects are needed to participate in sleep studies. Call x5-8221.

Osteoarthritis--The Department of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology is conducting a number of clinical research studies, including studies of different drugs for osteoarthritis. For details call Denise Coffin, x5-1647, or e-mail Denise_Coffin@urmc.rochester.edu.

Depression--People with a history of recurrent major depression are needed for a study. Participants must be currently feeling well, medication-free, healthy, and between ages 21-75. Call x5-8221.

Learning disabilities--University students with a reading-type learning disability are needed for a study of an alternative treatment for learning disabilities. Students must be at least 18 years old, provide official documentation of disability, and indicate one faculty member of a currently enrolled course to evaluate change in the disability. The study requires about eight hours of treatment on campus and keeping a daily log. For more information or to enroll, call Dianne Vermillion, School of Nursing, x5-8860.

Gum disease--Researchers in the Department of Periodontology at the Eastman Dental Center are looking for people to participate in a study to test a nonsurgical treatment for gum disease. Individuals who are in good health with periodontal (gum) disease are needed. Call Clinical Research at x5-9001 or x5-5780 to schedule a free screening examination.

AIDS vaccine--Healthy, HIV-negative volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60 are needed for clinical research trials of HIV-prevention vaccines. Participants will receive up to $700. Call x3-AIDS.