A team of researchers at the Dartmouth Medical School has found that small quantities of arsenic, similar to amounts found in the drinking water of some regions in the United States, can suppress the activity of key hormones involved in human development, including testosterone and estrogen. The study, funded by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, showed that consuming arsenic can prevent the hormones from binding to their specific receptors. Although the researchers focused on two hormone receptors in frogs, both receptors are also essential to human development. The study will be published in the upcoming edition of Environmental Health Perspectives and appeared on the journal's website on Oct. 26.
Twelve presidents of private universities earned salaries exceeding $1 million for the 2005-2006 school year, according to a study published by the Chronicle for Higher Education on Nov. 12. This figure represents an increase over last year's findings, when only seven private university presidents exceeded the $1 million mark. In comparison, the number of public university presidents making over $700,000 rose from two to eight. Several universities contended that the rise in salaries results from competition for accomplished leaders and is not a cause of rising college costs, The New York Times reported. Northeastern University President Richard Freeland was the highest paid private university president, making $2.9 million, and former University of Delaware President David Roselle held the highest paid position for public school presidents, earning $874,687. Dartmouth President James Wright was the lowest paid president in the Ivy League, earning a total of $527,088. The study, which analyzed 1,017 schools, included the salaries of community college presidents for the first time this year.
Michael Biondi '79 died of unknown causes at his home in Greenwich, Ct., on Monday evening, according to a statement released by his employer. Biondi served as co-chairman of investment banking at Lazard Ltd. since 2003. "He was one of the good guys, and all of our lives are diminished without him," Bruce Wasserstein, the chairman and chief executive officer of Lazard said in a memorandum written to the company's employees and published on Bloomberg.com. Biondi played on the baseball team at Dartmouth and received degrees from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Wharton Business School after his Dartmouth graduation. Prior to working at Lazard Ltd., Biondi was a lawyer with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP and a co-founder of Wasserstein Perella & Co. in 1988. He
