Students travel to Washington for national security seminar

Quinnipiac students participating in a seminar at The Washington Center in January

Eight Quinnipiac University students are spending the week in Washington, D.C., tackling the hard-hitting issues affecting national security with political analysts, journalists, national security experts and scholars.

The students are attending the Challenges to National Security in a Global Society Academic Seminar from May 19-24.

Led by a faculty director expert in national security issues, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars program will examine how global changes impact the international security arena and explore how the U.S. can best respond to the myriad of challenges and uncertainties.

In addition to group discussions, students and faculty will visit government agencies, embassies, think tanks and nonprofit organizations.

“At Quinnipiac we are committed to more and more learning experiences outside the classroom, and what a terrific experience this will be,” said Scott McLean, a professor of political science in the College of Arts and Sciences who is leading the Quinnipiac group. “Our students will have the opportunity to visit the FBI, State Department, the Israeli and Egyptian embassies, have face-to-face discussions with officials dealing with human rights issues and national security issues, including the drone strikes, Syria, the rise of China and the ongoing threat of terrorist groups.”

Mike Smith, president of The Washington Center, said, “Growing globalization, technological innovation, and shifting economic power create a complex and strained national security environment. We are bringing together the best minds in academia, government and political policy to discuss the U.S. role here and abroad, response protocols and the impact of modern technology and cyber vulnerabilities. We thank the students at Quinnipiac University for being a part of this timely and thought-provoking dialogue.”

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit. The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has more than 50,000 alumni who have become leaders in numerous professions and nations around the world. It was established in 1975. For more information visit www.twc.edu.

Professor Edward Alwood discusses the U.S. Justice Department’s collection of news organizations’ telephone records

Edward Alwood, professor of journalism in the School of Communications, discussed on Wisconsin Public Radio the U.S. Justice Department secretly collecting telephone records of reporters and editors.

Alwood told the station that the leak reminded him of the government’s reaction to the release of the “Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force,” also known as the “Pentagon Papers.”

He also shared his own experiences of trying to get information from the government and facing resistance under the guise of national security concerns.

Listen to the interview here. Alwood begins speaking at 26:00.

Professor Victoria Richards quoted extensively about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Victoria Richards, assistant professor of medical sciences in the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, was quoted extensively in a Health Day article about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a new study indicating that patients on the antibiotic azithromycin may be able to cut down hospitalizations. The story appeared in publications around the world, including U.S News & World Report, Iraq Sun and Haiti Sun.

“Given that exacerbations of COPD can be life-threatening, prevention of such events is critical,” she is quoted as saying. “Use of the antibiotic might also cut down on the need for doctor’s office visits and boost patients’ quality of life.”

Professor offers insight on new state report about 18 hospital executives earning more than $1 million

Eighteen Connecticut hospital executives received pay packages valued at more than $1 million last fiscal year, as many of the state’s acute care providers saw their financial performance improve from a year earlier, according to the Hartford Business Journal’s reporting on a new Office of Health Care Access report.

Angela Mattie, an associate professor in the Health Care Management and Organizational Leadership Department in the School of Business at Quinnipiac University, is available to comment on the report. She said the position of CEO at an acute care hospital is complex, challenging and difficult.

“At first blush, the over 1 million dollar salaries of Connecticut hospital executives seems outrageous,” Mattie said. “However, compared to CEO salaries in other industries these numbers are relatively modest. These salaries are also comparable to other states’ hospital executives.

“Considering the increasing demands on hospitals and the increasing complexity of the healthcare system, we will need to continue to attract highly skilled individuals,” she said. “Adequate and fair compensation is one method to assure we continue to attract those individuals with highly developed leadership and financial skills and with a focus on patient safety and healthcare quality.

“It is a highly sensitive year for acute care hospitals given the anticipated budget cuts and continued decline in reimbursements,” Mattie added. “Perhaps as a gesture on the part of hospital CEOs-refusing a raise-would go a long way in getting past the negative perception of their salaries and allow the focus on where it should be: how do we continue to improve the system and improve patient care?”

Undergraduate commencement ceremonies remaining outdoors

Today’s 10 a.m. undergraduate commencement ceremony for the School of Business and College of Arts and Sciences will be held outdoors on the academic quadrangle on the Mount Carmel Campus.

At this time, the 3 p.m. commencement ceremony for the School of Communications, School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing also will be held outdoors on the Mount Carmel Campus. The university will continue to monitor the weather conditions and will notify the university community by 12 noon of any changes in the schedule for the 3 p.m. commencement ceremony.

Please click here to read more information on undergraduate commencement.

Also please follow the university’s social media platforms for the latest information on today’s commencement ceremonies.