“Quote....Endquote”

“We live in a world where lots of people who are kind of jerks do end up winning and gloating. Maybe TV is one of those places where we like to see them get punished.”

Mark Andrejevic, assistant professor of communication studies, discussing America’s reaction to Survivor winner Richard Hatch’s conviction on three counts of tax evasion (Boston Globe, May 16). 

“We're amazingly conservative. Now we can't be conservative anymore, because this is the [nursing] shortage to end all shortages. This is permanent.”

Melanie Dreher, former dean of nursing, saying the way in which nursing is organized has not kept up with the changes and advancements in medical technology (Providence Business Journal, May 16). 

“We've been arguing about the security of the locks on the front door. Now we find that there's no back door. This is the kind of thing where if the states don't get out in front of the hackers, there's a real threat.”

Douglas Jones, associate professor of computer science, addressing a dangerous security hole found in Diebold Election Systems’ touch-screen voting machines (The [Fremont, Calif.] Argus, May 10). 

“Every day when I walk in from the parking lot, I look up at the dome and see the flag and think about how wonderful it is that we have this symbol."

David Skorton, University of Iowa president, speaking about the iconic gold dome atop Old Capitol. The historic landmark, which sustained significant damage in a November 2001 fire, reopened to the public on May 6 (Chicago Tribune, May 1). 

“There are three jobs I have no interest in: governor, university president, or athletic director. If I become interested in any one of the three, everyone has permission to hit me with a ball bat.”

Kirk Ferentz, head football coach, responding to questions about his interest in replacing outgoing athletic director Bob Bowlsby, who is taking the same position at Stanford University (USA Today, April 25).

“ ‘Hard to get into’ doesn’t mean you are going to get a better education.”

Ernest Pascarella, professor of education and author of the 2005 book How College Affects Students, noting that three decades of research indicate that a university’s prestige and selectivity don’t guarantee high-quality teaching or successful student learning (Wall Street Journal, April 20). 

“What I do know is that I do almost nothing with drug companies. … My area of research is neuroimaging, not psychopharmacology.”

Nancy Andreasen, professor of adult psychiatry, criticizing a report that states every psychiatric expert involved in writing the standard diagnostic criteria for disorders such as depression and schizophrenia has had financial ties to drug companies that sell medications for those illnesses (Washington Post, April 20).

“Children are being raised with far lower exposure to microbes and the products that (microbes) make.”

Joel Kline, professor of internal medicine and director of the University of Iowa Asthma Center, pointing out research that suggests that germ-free living may leave children more susceptible to allergies and asthma, and that exposure to microbes and their byproducts may activate the immune system (Wall Street Journal, March 14). 

“You can get addicted to meth very quickly, and the slide downward is much faster than drugs like alcohol, marijuana, or heroin. These people crash and burn fast.”

Stephan Arndt, professor of psychiatry, noting the ease and low cost of making meth, combined with its highly addictive nature, may account for the fact that the number of meth users admitted to substance abuse clinics has more than quadrupled from 1993 to 2003 (Philadelphia Inquirer, March 3). 

“The golden age of hip-hop ended about 15 years ago. You have to be Kanye West to buy a $100,000 sample, rather than the more freeform sampling that De La Soul and Public Enemy engaged in.”

Kembrew McLeod, assistant professor of communications studies, lamenting the loss of creativity when copyright laws hinder musicians' ability to freely “sample” or remix snippets of old musical clips into new works (The New York Times, Feb. 27). 

“Human modeling technology today is so refined, we can use it to test products before they’re ever produced.”

Karim Abdel-Malek, professor of biomedical engineering, explaining why digital prototypes can save manufacturing and materials costs (Wired News, Feb. 22). 

“Psychology is the science of human behavior and the things that happen in the mind to create it. It’s a subject that fascinates almost everyone because we all have notions of what’s normal and what’s not.”

David Watson, professor of psychology, commenting on why the writers and editors of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology constantly wrestle with questions of what’s abnormal and what should be done about it (San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 22).