UD in the News, July 1, 2004

James Butkiewicz, professor of economics, was quoted in a July 1 Baltimore Sun story concerning the interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve Board. He predicts additional increases, from the current 1.25 percent to about 3-4 percent. James O’Neill, professor of economics and director of UD’s Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship, was quoted on the same subject in the July 1 News Journal.

The UD Early Learning Center was featured in the June 30 News Journal.

Keith Bayha, a UD graduate student in marine biology, was featured on Wisconsin Sea Grant's EarthWatch radio program the week of June 21-25. He discussed gelatinous marine life and its effects on the Black Sea.

Raj Varma, professor of finance, is co-author of a study in the June issue of Financial Analysts Journal that shows that, as the proportion of independent directors on a board and its oversight committees increases, the less likely there will be corporate fraud. The researchers found that companies accused of committing fraud had a lower percentage of outside directors, had a lower percentage of independent directors, were less likely to have an audit committee of the board, were more likely to have a compensation committee of the board and had a lower level of independence on the audit, compensation and nominating committees.

Charles Elson, Edgar S. Woolard Jr. Chair and director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, was quoted in a June 28 Christian Science Monitor story on changes in the mutual fund industry. Elson also was quoted in a June 27 Orlando Sentinel story on high pay for corporate executives. If pay is exorbitant, he said, the solution is to "make boards act like owners instead of people who owe their position to management largesse."

Meryl Gardner, associate professor of business administration, was quoted in a June 27 Buffalo News story about a large new Geico Corp. insurance facility in western New York that will provide customer service night and day. "Twenty-four-hour availability has become the norm,” Gardner said. “It doesn't even occur to us to look at the clock."

UD’s new The Courtyard by Marriott hotel was featured in the June 27 News Journal.

John Antil, associate professor of business administration, was quoted in a June 26 Sacramento Bee story about the marketing of embattled Olympic track star Marion Jones. With media focus on construction and security problems in Athens, Antil said sports marketing will be difficult. "Let's face it, this is going to be a horrible Olympic year from every point of view," he said. "You can already count this year as a disaster."

Harris Ross, associate professor of English, is quoted in a June 25 News Journal story on the new Michael Moore film “Fahrenheit 9/11.” “I can't think of a mainstream movie that has entered the political fray at a time like this," Ross said.

John Byrne, director of the UD Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, is quoted in a June 23 Philadelphia Inquirer story concerning a 5 percent jump in toxic pollutants in the United States in 2002, as reported by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. "We've fallen behind because we haven't made it our priority in the last few years. I think it's partly the Bush administration's fault," Byrne said.

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