We had an interesting discussion the other day about two orthogonal approaches in faculty recruitment: in one, a department tries to distribute its expertise broad across a discipline so as to be able to teach a variety degree programs. In the other, a department focuses on one particular area, so as to become “the best place in the world” to do research on that particular set of research questions.

Interestingly, neither of those approaches works for an institute like Krasnow. Fundamentally, an institute for advanced study is about research that can change the paradigm–in any number of fields. You do that by hiring risk takers who think about science across disciplines.

Jim

Last week’s science retreat was an excellent opportunity to get a broad brush strokes picture of what we are doing as a whole. I was particularly impressed by the shear quantity of excellent new data from clearly well-conceived experiments across a large domains of science. One great addition this year, was allowing more junior investigators (eg. postdoctoral fellows and graduate students) to present as well as principal investigators. It’s great watching new scientists get excited about their experiments.

I was also very pleased because there is now real balance in the Krasnow science portfolio. With the addition of Claudio Cioffi’s Center on Social Complexity combined with Ken DeJong’s Adaptive Systems Laboratory, the Venn Diagram that was in the mind’s eye of our founders (an intersection of neuroscience, computer science, and cognitive psychology/behavioral biology) is considerably more reified. This allows us to approach the subject of “cognition” from multiple disciplinary directions at the same time and, I hope, will eventually lead to some very fruitful collaborative discoveries.

Jim

The image is of the official groundbreaking two days ago. Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA) and Mason President Alan G. Merten played key roles in the ceremony along with Advisory Board Members Virginia Pomata and William Nitze. It was a grand time for all.

Yesterday, for those of you who watch News Channel 8 in the Washington DC Metro area, you would have seen a story about Krasnow along with footage of our annual science retreat which was held yesterday. The quality of the presentations was excellent! But it was also clear to me that 15 minutes per presentation simply isn’t enough. So we’re going to brainstorm up a way to allow folks more time to present their science, in a venue that is in addition to the annual retreat–perhaps a brownbag series.

Jim

Things are moving (from an approval standpoint) faster than we anticipated. Clearing is expected to commence in the next several weeks (which puts us in late January).

Latest news will be on the right margin of this blog above the copyright.

Jim

Today is the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Krasnow addition. I’m extremely pleased with all the distinguished visitors who will be celebrating with us and I hope to have some pictures of the event in the not too distant future. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank two individuals:

Harold Morowitz was the first director of the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study from 1990 until 1998. He is one of this country’s most distinguished biochemists and it is certainly his vision which is largely being realized today with the expansion project. We’re all very grateful to him for his service and dedication.

William Nitze has been instrumental in supporting this project from it’s earliest days, when he provided crucial planning dollars to allow us to begin to conceptualize the new space. He has also served on the Krasnow Board of Trustees and subsequent to the merger with Mason, on the Krasnow Advisory Board. We’re extremely grateful to Bill for making today possible also.

Jim

Just a quick note that the Krasnow Expansion Project received the approval of the Commonwealth Architectural Review Board this past Friday. Another milestone!

Jim

Just a reminder that the Olympus folks are here today and tomorrow demo-ing their latest and greatest. Please don’t hesitate to stop by at the Krasnow Seminar Room.

Derek Bok’s 2003 book on the dangers of commercialism within the Academy (Bok, Derek. Universities in the Marketplace: The commercialism of Higher Education. Princeton University Press, 2003) is a good read for anyone who is interested in the challenges facing the modern research university. It cogently raises the yellow flag regarding intecollegiate athletics, science and for-profit educational programs, although I have to say, Bok himself recognizes that it’s relatively easy for the former president of Harvard University to raise the warning cry given that institution’s very large endowment.

On the other hand, I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about whether in fact there is any substantive difference between was Bok calls commercialism and what others call entrepreneurship. Here at the Krasnow Institute, we continually face the tension between pressures to create intellectual property and subsequently license the same, versus the problems with secrecy that come with such technology transfer to the for-profit sector. As important is the risk of licensing intellectual property prematurely before, for example, safety issues have been addressed suitably.

Which brings up the whole notion of ethics in the research university–whether it be part of the curriculum or institutional restraint upon un-restricted (rampant) entrepreneurial activity. It seems to me that this point is non-trivial. In the early years of American higher education, a main function of a college education was producing ethically educated citizens. It seems to be that such a focus might be missing from the modern research university–or at least, it’s been de-emphasized in favor of the constant search for new financial resources.

Jim

I really wasn’t aware that I was at Disney World until after we finished
up our editorial board meeting for The Biological Bulletin
(www.biolbull.org) around 7PM on Thursday evening. I’d flown into Orlando
earlier in the day and was actually staying at the Airport so that I
might get the first flight out in the morning.

I guess I should have begun to figure things out when my taxi drove me
30 minutes west along the Beeline Expressway and the signs for Micky
started to proliferate. But it was during the walk from the meeting
hotel (Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology) to our
restaurant venue at the Portabello Yacht Club–that the Full Disney hit
me, Full Monty.

Yes…I’d never been to Disney World. No, I don’t regret that. Still, it
was a very pleasant time spent with colleagues who share a passion for
marine models from around the globe.

Jim

Today I was in Philadelphia learning about a fantastic organization (ECRI–click on the link above) which I think occupies a critical space in the non-profit space overseeing medical technology. Why? Because they are idealists and have the strictest conflict of interest rules I’ve seen outside government. And because they are incredibly rigorous about their studies.

Tomorrow I’m off to Orlando for the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology meetings. More from the road on that.

Jim