Questions about Iraq? Call on Georgia State
   Georgia State experts can provide perspective on almost any aspect of the current situation. Assistant professor of political science Chip Carey can talk about potential long-term consequences of a war. Dona Stewart, director of the Middle East Center for Peace, Culture and Development, can answer general questions about the region and our foreign policy. Donald Reid, professor of history, can offer insight into events leading to the current climate in the Middle East. Contact Carey at 404-651-4845 or polhfc@langate.gsu.edu; Stewart at 404-651-1829 or djstewart@gsu.edu; or Reid at 404-651-3255 or dreid@gsu.edu. For assistance in finding the best expert to meet your needs, contact University Relations at 404-651-3025.

Child's play: Explaining world events to kids
   Television images of an exploding space shuttle or soldiers preparing for battle may be particularly disturbing to young children. But talking to your children may not be the most effective way for parents to communicate complex world events, says JoAnna White, chair of the counseling department in the College of Education. Children learn best through metaphor - playing, reading stories and telling stories - rather than conversation. White, an expert on play therapy, can offer some tips on how parents can use playtime to teach children how to work through troubling issues. White can be reached at 404-651-2550 or jwhite@gsu.edu.

Toni Morrison at 72: The life and work of a modern black woman
   One of the nation's the most influential modern black authors, Toni Morrison, celebrates her 72nd birthday on Feb. 18. Carolyn Denard, associate professor of English at Georgia State, has written extensively about the Nobel Prize recipient and, in 1993, founded the Toni Morrison Society "to initiate, sponsor and encourage critical dialogue, scholarly publications, conferences and projects devoted to the study of the life and works of Toni Morrison." For commentary on Morrison's work, contact Denard at 404-651-2900 or engccd@panther.gsu.edu.

Johnny's parents can't read
   About 20 percent of adults in the United States find it difficult to read labels on food or fill out job applications, according to the National Institute for Literacy. While low-literate adults exhibit a number of strengths to compensate for their reading weaknesses, a growing low-literate population has enormous societal costs - from accidents at work to parents not responding to notes sent home from school, says Daphne Greenberg, assistant professor of educational psychology and associate director of the Center for Adult Literacy at Georgia State. Greenberg, along with a number of other researchers at Georgia State, has secured a $2.8 million federal grant to study effective methods and approaches for teaching reading skills to low-literate adults. Greenberg can be reached at 404-651-0127 or dgreenberg@gsu.edu.

Corporate computer networks increasingly under attack
   A recent report showed that the number of cyber-attacks on corporate networks was 20 percent higher in the second half of 2002 than it was during the same period a year earlier. Web security threats rose dramatically as well, with the number of vulnerabilities (weak points that computer viruses and worms use to enter systems) in computer networks and software jumping 81.5 percent, according to a report by Web security provider Symantec Corp. Detmar Straub, a professor of computer information systems, can offer insight on these computer security issues. Contact him at 404-651-3827 or dstraub@gsu.edu.

Medical liability caps: Can they halt the rising costs of care?
   Across the country, spiraling malpractice insurance costs are driving physicians to other states or out of business entirely. Lawmakers in Georgia and nationally are considering severely capping noneconomic damages (for pain and suffering) to solve the problem of "jackpot" lawsuits and bring down insurance costs. Andi Curcio, an associate professor of law, is available to discuss this tort-reform movement. Contact her at 404-651-4157 or acurcio@gsu.edu.

Child care subsidies a crucial part of welfare reform
   New welfare reform proposals could drive more low-income mothers into the workforce - posing the potential problem of finding child care for their children. After an initial wave of welfare reform in 1996, the federal government substantially increased child care subsidies for low-income families. Now the grant providing federal dollars is up for reauthorization, and lawmakers are discussing how much money should be devoted to child care. In a study published in the journal Early Childhood Research Quarterly, social work professor Fred Brooks found children receiving child care subsidies were more likely to be enrolled in licensed child care centers, and their child care arrangements were twice as stable than children from families on waiting lists for subsidies. Brooks says more federal dollars dedicated to child carecould prevent tragic situations such as that of Nakia Burgess of Atlanta, who lost two jobs because she couldn't find care for her 3-year-old daughter. On her second day with a third employer, Burgess left her daughter in the car while she worked, and the child died of extreme heat exposure. Contact Brooks, an expert on welfare reform and child care subsidies, at 404-651-0424 or fbrooks2@gsu.edu.

Happening at Georgia State University:

Lecture: Turkish ambassador to visit Georgia State
   Iraq's northern neighbor, Turkey, will play a crucial role in the U.S.-led effort against Saddam Hussein. Turkey is the only Muslim nation in NATO, but the country's parliament hasn't yet agreed to allow U.S. troops to use its bases and ports for possible military campaign against Iraq. Polls in Turkey show widespread opposition to the war. Turkish Ambassador O. Faruk Logoglu will visit Georgia State Feb. 17 to discuss Turkey's Middle East policy and the question of war against Iraq. A media opportunity with Logoglu is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. His lecture begins at 7 p.m. in the Speaker's Auditorium of Georgia State's Student Center (corner of Courtland and Gilmer streets).

Georgia State Leads is a biweekly email publication from the Department of University Relations. For more information about the publication or to sign up to receive Georgia State Leads, contact Beth Flannigan at 404-651-3574 or bflannigan@gsu.edu.

Don't see what you're looking for? Call University Relations at 404-651-3025 for fast access to faculty experts and university news. After hours and on weekends, contact Betsy Robertson, assistant director, via pager at 404-655-3456.

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