Letters

Thank you for the excellent coverage of Emory’s participation in the care and treatment of recent Ebola patients (“Ebola: From Microscope to Spotlight,” autumn 2014). I have always been proud to be an alumnus of Emory University, but in the past two to three months, my pride has been magnified several times over. Emory’s response to the Ebola outbreak, its willingness to treat these patients, and its education of the public in regard to this disease has been commendable. Ebola has been known for more than thirty years and it was not until it had reached United States shores that the American public had any interest in finding a treatment or cure. It is a disgrace that it took Americans contracting this disease for the public to take any interest in what should be a global concern. It will take a worldwide humanitarian effort to control this outbreak.

—Charlsie Farmer Woolley 70C, Atlanta, Georgia

The special report on Ebola in the autumn Emory Magazine was not only an objective assessment of the role Emory played (and likely will continue to play) in the fight against Ebola, but highlights the compassion and dedication of the Emory University hospital health care team. This article reminds us of the importance of science and Emory University’s long tradition of doing the right thing and making an impact on society. The world first learned in August that Emory University Hospital would be the first hospital in North America to treat an Ebola patient. The press speculated on the dangers of bringing a patient with Ebola to the United States, and the entire nation watched with much interest and concern in each step of the process of getting Dr. Kent Brantly to Emory. Emory physicians and university leadership realized the importance of leveraging Emory’s diverse talents in treating patients truly in need of superior medical care and took on the challenge. The Emory Healthcare team should feel proud of what they have done in successfully treating four Ebola-infected patients. The worldwide medical community will, no doubt, leverage the learnings of the bold and highly competent Emory team in treating future Ebola patients. A big thank you is owed to the broad Emory Healthcare team, who trained for years to make this kind of impact.

—Jonathan Zung 91PhD, Research Triangle, NC

The incredible care and thoughtfulness for the safety and well-being of these patients, the staff, the local community and the public health of our nation makes me so proud to be an alumna of Emory University. Professionally, this article inspires those of us who daily work “quietly, efficiently, and effectively” to successfully impact our communities. Following strict protocols agreed upon by the team and the larger health care community highlight the importance of cooperative collaboration especially in this life and death scenario. I look forward to sharing this article with my family members and colleagues. Thank you.

—Ann Byrd Bullock 83MBA

Best story I’ve read on Ebola. Yay for Emory University Hospital.

—Dianne Girard, RN, Atlanta, Georgia

I am a proud parent of an Oxford sophomore. I loved this article (“Scholarship Makes for Well-Rounded Oxford Experience,” summer 2014) so much, that I posted it to my daughter’s Facebook wall. I wanted her to begin her college experience at Oxford and finish at Emory. I felt the campus was a great size and starting point for her to develop good study habits and not be distracted with campus activities—which it has. It felt really good to post this article to remind her.

—Teresa Lains P15, mother of Gabriella Lains 15OX, Conyers, Georgia

I just finished reading your article “Shaping a Freshman Class” (autumn 2014) and I enjoyed it immensely! It opened my eyes and truly seems that the admissions staff takes a lot of time to carefully handpick an interesting, exceptional, and diverse student body who embody our ever-changing society. It is nice to know that the admissions committee makes every effort to ensure that Emory is right for the student as opposed to the “student being right for Emory.” What a wonderful life-changing opportunity for these lucky students! Thanks for writing the article, as it really opened my eyes and made me appreciate that my child, who is a freshman at Oxford, is in the right place! Appreciate your wonderful journalism!

—Maura Bauman Chey 85A 16P, mother of Megen Chey 16OX

I very much enjoyed reading the article “Shaping a Freshman Class.” You made me feel as though I were sitting in the admissions office on admit day.

—Andrea Ceisler P16, mother of Katherine Ceisler Rookard16L, Springfield, Virginia

I was bemused to see in the autumn 2014 article on Pavlo Sheremeta (“One of Tomorrow’s People,” autumn 2014) that corruption in Ukraine is so extensive that the “police forcibly disbursed the protests” (p. 40). I guess it pays to be a protestor, at least when error creeps into prose. (I do believe “dispersed” is the word the author is looking for.)

—Su Fang Ng 96G, Norman, Oklahoma

A meaningful set of bullet points (“Catching Some ZZZZs,” autumn 2014). Guilty of all. The author may have saved my life. My doctor said if I did not get better sleep, I may be chopping off productive days. Thank the author for the wake-up call.

—Caroline Mixon, Chestnut Mountain, Georgia