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The celebratory opening of Oxford College’s new library and academic commons in August showcased an open, modern space, one-third larger than the 1970s building, which will “encourage intellectual exploration, learning, and collaboration for many years to come,” said Rich Mendola, senior vice provost of library services and digital scholarship and enterprise CIO at Emory.

Flagship law and religion journal moves to Emory

The Journal of Law and Religion moved to the Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR) at the School of Law in August 2013. “As our center expands its geographical and topical reach, the time is ripe to welcome the journal and make it the leading international journal in the field,” says John Witte Jr., CSLR director and new coeditor of the journal.

New risk factor for schizophrenia identified

Researchers at the Rollins School of Public Health have identified a large duplication on chromosome 7 as a new risk factor for schizophrenia. Three copies of the 7q11.23 region, already a known indicator of autism and intellectual disability, have now been associated with schizophrenia, found lead researcher Jennifer Mulle, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology.

University leaders send open letter to President Obama

President James Wagner, the presidents of the University of Georgia and Georgia Institute of Technology, and 162 other university leaders published an open letter to President Barack Obama and Congress in Politico on July 31, calling attention to the dangers of “the innovation deficit”—the difference between what the nation is, and what it should be, investing in research and higher education.

Uniforms reused by re:loom

This summer, Campus Services donated more than 100 pounds of custodial uniforms and Emory Athletics donated more than 300 pounds of athletic uniforms to re:loom, a Decatur-based nonprofit that weaves used materials and shredded fabrics into upcycled products—including purses, scarves, and rugs—providing salaries and health care benefits for homeless and low-income employees.

Sierra Club names Emory a ‘cool school’

Emory placed sixteenth in the 2013 “Cool Schools” rankings by the Sierra Club’s Sierra magazine, which ranks colleges and universities on their commitment to fighting climate disruption and “making sure the future their students will inhabit has safe water, clean air and beautiful landscapes.” Emory also was rated at the highest (gold) level by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

New residence hall earns gold for green

Hamilton Holmes Hall, which opened in 2012, marks the tenth building at Emory to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold status and the twenty-second structure on the Atlanta and Oxford campuses to earn LEED certification. The five-story building uses energy and water conservation methods such as recycled water for toilet flushing and rainwater for irrigation.

Grant to study HIV epidemic in women

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a five-year grant of $11.9 million to researchers Igho Ofotokun and Gina Wingood of the Emory Center for AIDS Research, to study the HIV epidemic among women as part of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study, expanding the study into the South for the first time.

Emory Board of Trustees names two new members

Elected to six-year terms as Emory alumni trustees are founding partner, co-CEO and co-CIO of Central Park Group in New York Mitchell Tanzman 81C, who has a law degree from the University of Chicago; and business immigration attorney and partner at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen, and Loewy in Atlanta, Deborah Marlowe 80C, who has a law degree from the University of Michigan.

Emory ranks highly for contributing to public good

Ranking among the nation’s top national universities “acting on behalf of the true public interest,” by Washington Monthly in its 2013 College Rankings, Emory was listed No. 26 based on the three criteria of social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and service (encouraging students to give something back).

New glycomics center coming to Emory

A new National Center for Functional Glycomics will be housed at Emory’s School of Medicine, to be directed by Richard Cummings, William Patterson Timmie Professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry, and supported by a five-year award of more than $5.5 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. This complements the Consortium for Functional Glycomics, also led by Cummings.

Candler creates Erskine-Smith-Moseley Endowment

Candler School of Theology has established a scholarship endowment in honor of three of the school’s first African American faculty—Noel Erskine, Luther Smith, and Romney Moseley—to provide students of the school’s Black Church Studies Program with scholarships and stipends to support their theological education. The fund reached the $100,000 mark this summer.