Professor: New polling machines won’t inspire voter confidence
   When voters head to the polls in November, many will bring along their skepticism about the electoral process, predicts a Georgia State University researcher. Though some states are addressing past ballot discrepancies with new voting machines, the technology won’t necessarily inspire confidence in the system, says Jennifer McCoy, an associate professor of political science. “The main question is going to be whether or not the new machines accurately record the vote – and whether people believe they accurately record the vote,” says McCoy, who helped monitor Venezuela’s August presidential recall election as part of a team from The Carter Center, an Atlanta-based human-rights advocacy organization. “Perception is extremely important in an electoral process. It’s extremely important for people to have confidence because it’s the fundamental basis of democracy to be able to choose your leaders and remove your leaders.” Contact McCoy at 404/651-4847 or jmccoy@gsu.edu.

Public awareness key to protecting mass transit from terrorism
   Travelers would be wise to scan their surroundings when boarding a train or bus, cautions William Waugh, professor of public administration and urban studies at Georgia State University. Though studies show that mass transit systems are the target of one-third of terrorist attacks worldwide, most of America's counterterrorist efforts since Sept. 11, 2001, have focused on securing airports. "Despite warnings that terrorist attacks might be imminent, the Department of Homeland Security has done little to assist in securing transit systems," says Waugh, an expert on terrorism. "In the absence of federal dollars, mass transit operators are left to their own devices to reduce their vulnerabilities." To cope, many transit systems around the country are instituting "Transit Watch," a nationwide public awareness and education campaign developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration. "Public awareness and a good reporting system, as well as luck, may be the most effective security system for mass transit systems," Waugh says. Contact him at 404/651-4592 or wwaugh@gsu.edu.

Professor: Meeting demands of non-native English speakers worth costs
   Nationally, the number of non-native English speakers in public schools has skyrocketed. In Georgia alone, the number of students with limited English proficiency has grown by nearly 700 percent in the last decade. As school systems debate over whether to immerse these students into classrooms with native English speakers or to shelter them in English-as-a-Second-Language classes, they can no longer afford to ignore the needs of this population, says Yan Wang, assistant professor of middle-secondary education at Georgia State University. “It’s to society’s benefit to educate these students. They are going to stay in this country, and they are eventually going to be out in the job market,” says Wang. “No matter what the initial financial costs of training teachers or setting up programs are, in the long term, it will be worth it.” Contact Wang at 404/651-2522 or mstyaw@langate.gsu.edu.

Negotiating skills handy in all life situations
   Many people believe negotiation is limited to certain situations, such as buying, selling or resolving labor disputes. But people haggle more often than they realize, say Edward W. Miles, associate professor of management, and Ellwood F. Oakley, associate professor of risk management and insurance, a pair of Georgia State University experts in the art of negotiation. "I negotiate with my 7-year-old daughter about eating her dinner, and with my 10-year-old daughter about whether she can get her ears pierced," says Miles. Though people negotiate often, they rarely get accurate feedback on how well they perform. "If you negotiate the purchase of a new car, the salesperson isn't going to tell you after the deal is made that you could have saved another $2,000 if you had done this and that," Miles says. While not all business negotiations result in a "win-win" solution for all parties, that is normally the optimal result, Oakley says. "The true benefit of a heavy-handed, 'win-lose' approach to negotiation is overrated," he adds. Contact Miles at 404/651-3393 or emiles@gsu.edu, and Oakley at 404/651-2714 or eoakley@gsu.edu.

New brains-and-behavior program helps researchers put heads together
   How do recreational drugs affect an adolescent’s brain? How and why do particular hormones govern social interactions? Will there one day be a device that allows those who are completely paralyzed to communicate simply and effectively? Thanks in part to the new interdisciplinary Brains and Behavior Program at Georgia State University, researchers will explore these and other questions concerning neuroscience and behavior. The Brains and Behavior Program will support collaboration among 68 faculty members from eight academic disciplines. It’s hoped that the program, funded by a $2 million annual budget, will lead to more external funding, as well as more collaborations across the disciplines, a necessity for successful behavioral neuroscience research. The program’s director, biology professor Donald Edwards, says, “The outside funding is one measure of our ability to make this part of Georgia State stand out in the universe of academe. The larger goal is to enhance Georgia State’s national profile.” For more information about the program, contact Edwards at 404/651-3148 or dedwards@gsu.edu.

Happening at Georgia State University:

New-music ensemble begins 10th season
   Atlanta new-music ensemble neoPhonia kicks off its 10th anniversary season at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14 in Georgia State University’s Kopleff Recital Hall (corner of Peachtree Center Avenue and Gilmer Street). Under the artistic direction of Nickitas J. Demos, coordinator of composition at Georgia State, the program features works by Messiaen, Tavener and Pärt, and the premiere of Inside Psalms by Amanda Graham. Admission is free. For more information, contact Helene Erenberg at 404/651-1326 or herenberg@gsu.edu.

Author offers retirement tips
   Author and psychologist Nancy K. Schlossberg will lead a discussion about her book, “Retire Smart, Retire Happy: Finding Your True Path in Life,” at noon Sept. 15 in the Speaker’s Auditorium of the Georgia State University Student Center (corner of Courtland and Gilmer streets). In her book on the psychology of retirement, Schlossberg helps those grappling with the prospect or reality of retirement to answer difficult questions about self-identity, meaning and personal fulfillment. Signed copies will be available at the lecture, which is presented by the Georgia State University Library with support from the Usery Fund. For more information, contact Jake Houle at 404/651-8714 or jhoule@gsu.edu.

African-American studies celebrates 10th year at Georgia State
   Georgia State University’s Department of African-American Studies will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a two-day conference Sept. 17-18 in the Student Center (corner of Courtland and Gilmer streets). The event features established professors and up-and-coming scholars in the field of African American studies, including Molefi Asante, professor of African-American studies at Temple University and former president of the National Council for Black Studies, and Maulana Karenga, founder of Kwanzaa and professor of black studies at California State University, Long Beach. Conference sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. The event, which is free and open to the public, concludes with a dance at 8 p.m. Sept. 18 in the Student Center. For more information, contact Belinda Futrell at 404/651-2157 or aadbsf@langate.gsu.edu.

“Matt & Ben” makes Atlanta debut at Rialto
   The off-Broadway smash “Matt & Ben” makes its Atlanta debut with 15 shows Sept. 21 through Oct. 2 at Georgia State University’s Rialto Center for the Performing Arts. Written by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers, “Matt & Ben” depicts Hollywood’s golden boys Matt Damon and Ben Affleck before their rise to fame. Tickets are on sale now for $20-$35 at the Rialto box office or by calling 404/651-4727. For more information, visit www.nederlanderworld.com/mattandben. Members of the media may contact Tara Murphy at 404/577-8686 or info@360media.net.

Performance artist gets political
   Brooklyn-based Sheryl Oring brings performances of her public project "I Wish to Say" to downtown Atlanta Sept. 30. In "I Wish to Say," Oring sets up a portable office, complete with vintage manual typewriter, and engages visitors in political discussion. She types participants’ comments onto postcards that are later sent to the president of the United States. From noon to 2 p.m., Oring will be in Woodruff Park, near the corner of Peachtree and Luckie streets. From 6 to 8 p.m., she will perform and lecture in the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design Gallery at Georgia State University. A voter-registration opportunity will accompany the evening appearance. For more information, contact Cathy Byrd, gallery director, at 404/651-0489 or cathybyrd@gsu.edu.

Georgia State Leads is a biweekly e-mail 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 404/651-3576 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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