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Author: Brian Fung

Ga. Tech president to head Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institution announced on March 15 that Dr. G. Wayne Clough, president of the Georgia Institute of Technology, would be taking the organization's top post beginning on July 1.

Upon his assumption of the role, Clough will inherit a number of problems troubling the Smithsonian, including a severe budget deficit, aging facilities and the remnants of an embarrassing financial scandal that forced Clough's predecessor to resign.

Lawrence M. Small admitted last year to spending Smithsonian funds on "personal pleasures like chauffeured cars, private jets and catered meals," according to The New York Times.

"I know the Smithsonian has some challenges," said Clough in a news conference announcing the Smithsonian's decision, which was made unanimously by the organization's Board of Regents. "We will surmount those challenges fairly quickly and move on to what I believe is a tremendous future for the Smithsonian."

Before accepting the Smithsonian's offer, Clough served at Georgia Tech for nearly 14 years, established two endowed chairs in poetry, expanded enrollment by roughly 5,000 students and expanded the university's research spending by two-fold.
- The New York Times


UPenn dental student held hostage by robbers

Armed robbers held a University of Pennsylvania dental student at gunpoint for nearly 12 hours on March 9 during the student's spring break, stripping him of his credit and debit cards as well as his personal identification number (PIN).

The student was forced inside his apartment by two individuals at about 11:30 p.m. on March 9, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian. After the incident, the robbers went on a spending spree that allowed police to track down the suspects. One of the attackers, Justin Sheppard, was arrested mid-morning on March 10. The second suspect has yet to be caught.

According to Philadelphia police, the dental student continued to receive threats from one robber as the second went to verify that his PIN code was correct.
- The Daily Pennsylvanian


BU students seek help from outside tutors

Boston University students have begun seeking academic help from India-based Web site Uprodigy.com, which offers online tutoring sessions in business, math and science, according to the Daily Free Press.

Students can access the tutors, each of whom holds a Ph.D or master's degree, at any hour via e-mail and instant messenger, said Syed Hussain, the Web site's founder and a Harvard University graduate.

"We find really smart people in India and subject them to interviews and have them take many different tests to see what they are good in and how good their communication skills are in English," Hussain said.

Administrators at Boston University acknowledged that Uprodigy could be useful for answering "small, specific" questions, but suggested that personal tutoring sessions would likely be more effective at handling complex concepts requiring lots of explanation.

"A professor might stress points which a tutor may glean over," said Educational Resource Center Director Glenn Wrigley.
- Daily Free Press