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University Relations Tip Sheet - November 16, 2004

Study: Athletes’ fines more about good PR than bad behavior
Fights on the rink, shoving matches on the basketball court and verbal scuffles with referees are becoming commonplace in the major leagues – and so are fines meted out to athletes who violate league rules. But while professional sports groups are quick to levy monetary punishments to players for misdeeds on and off the field, the fines are geared more toward garnering good public relations than deterring bad player behavior, says a researcher at Georgia State University. Players making multimillion dollar paychecks barely notice a minor fine – but the sanction does give fans the impression that sports leagues are tough on player misconduct, says Mark Nagel, an assistant professor of kinesiology and health. “The use of punishment by the major sports leagues is not a meaningful deterrent to player behaviors but is a well-orchestrated and highly effective public-relations campaign by the leagues and player associations,” says Nagel, who co-wrote a study recently published in the International Sports Journal that examines player punishments in the National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. Contact him at 404/651-4680 or mnagel@gsu.edu.

Charged with horsepower, women overcome abuse
For centuries, the company of dogs and cats have helped humans cope with worries and anxiety. But for women who have suffered physical or sexual abuse, horses may provide much-needed help. Therapists began developing equine programs decades ago to assist those with learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis and autism, but only recently have they reached out to women with histories of abuse. Equine-facilitated psychotherapy has worked so well, in fact, that Georgia State University nursing professor Krista Meinersmann and collaborators are trying to find out what makes it so effective. "Many women say that after years of talk therapy, they made quantum leaps after just a few sessions of equine-facilitated therapy,” says Meinersmann. “A lot of the women have talked about the fact that if they can control a couple-thousand-pound animal and it still likes them, they can learn to set limits with their abusers." For more, contact Meinersmann at 404/651-4552 or kmeinersmann@gsu.edu.

Social Security reform back on front burner
President Bush has pledged to aggressively pursue major changes in Social Security during his second term. Georgia State University’s David Richardson, who studied Social Security reform closely during his six years working at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is available to provide in-depth discussion on various reform options – such as partial privatization – that the Bush administration might pursue. Richardson, assistant professor of risk management and insurance, says the general consensus is that Social Security is unsustainable in its current form, but notes that the administrative hurdles to partially privatizing Social Security would be huge. Contact him at 404/651-0962 or insdpr@langate.gsu.edu.

Professor: Teens can be musicians and athletes
Research shows that many students, especially boys, drop out of choruses and other musical pursuits between the eighth and ninth grades. Patrick K. Freer, division head of music education and community music at Georgia State University, studies middle-school music education in hopes of improving retention in boys’ musical interests. Forcing teenagers to choose between singing and sports, such as weight-lifting, can be part of the problem, he says. “Boys at that age are fascinated by weight-lifting and the strength they gain through muscular growth,” says Freer, who is also a certified personal trainer. “It’s true that if the exercises are done improperly, lifting weights can damage the vocal folds and larynx. But, if students are trained to lift weights properly, there’s no reason they have to limit themselves to either weight-lifting or singing.” For more on the effects of physical training on the voice, contact Freer at 404/651-1228 or pfreer@gsu.edu.

Is the Endangered Species Act working?
The effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act remains a mystery more than 30 years after its passage, says environmental economist Paul Ferraro. “This is a huge deal,” Ferraro says. “Biodiversity is declining worldwide, and ESA is our centerpiece policy tool for dealing with the issue.” Ferraro, an assistant professor of economics at Georgia State University, is studying a question that has never been answered: Would endangered species be any worse off if they were not listed by ESA? Using measures of species recovery from 1993 to 1997, Ferraro has estimated the size and significance of ESA listings on species recovery for 490 vertebrates. “Our preliminary findings suggest that the ESA listing by itself does not appear to affect the probability that a species will recover or decline,” says Ferraro, whose research is ongoing. “However, we are also finding that the combination of substantial government funds for recovery initiatives with an ESA listing does lead to a substantial increase in the probability of recovery and a decrease in the probability of decline.” Ferraro can be reached at 404/651-1372 or pferraro@gsu.edu.

Georgia State law students helping inmates at troubled jail
Students at Georgia State University College of Law are helping rectify problems caused by severe overcrowding and understaffing at the Fulton County Jail by interviewing inmates about their situations and addressing necessary issues. According to a lawsuit filed against Fulton County in June by the Southern Center for Human Rights, the facility holds nearly twice the number of inmates it should. Other frequently cited problems include plumbing and laundry hygiene issues as well as a series of escapes and release-date mistakes. About 40 second- and third-year law students are participating in the law school’s Fulton County Jail Project, responding to more than 400 inmate requests for assistance. They are addressing such situations as jail conditions, inmates whose release dates have passed and those who may require judicial hearings because of questionable mental health or intellectual capacity. Students also are helping answer inmates’ questions about charges and court dates, and communicating with family members about bond and child-support payments. For more information, contact law professor Mark Kadish at 404/651-2094 or mkadish@gsu.edu.

Happening at Georgia State University:

Child policy expert to discuss success of adoption programs
The effectiveness of federal legislation designed to increase the number of children adopted into permanent homes will be the topic of a lecture in the Child Policy Speaker Series at Georgia State University. Richard Barth, Frank Daniels Distinguished Professor of Social Work at the University of North Carolina, will speak at 3 p.m. Nov. 17 in the seventh floor seminar room of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies building at 14 Marietta St. His lecture, "Adoption and Safe Families Act: Current and Predicted Outcomes of Policy Implementation," is free and open to the public. About 200,000 children are placed into foster care each year with the intent of eventually reuniting them with their families but with the possibility that they could be adopted by others. "The greatest tension in child welfare policy is to ensure that the children who can be reunited with their families have a reasonable chance of doing so,” Barth says. "Yet the implementation of new policies that do not mandate as much effort to return children home has raised questions about whether or not families have a fair chance to resume their lives together.” For more information, contact Sallie Barker at 404/651-3104 or sbarker@gsu.edu.

Seminar series on public health law kicks off Nov. 17
A new Georgia State University seminar series, “The 21st Century Challenge of Public Health and the Law,” begins with a presentation by Gene Matthews, director of the Institute of Public Health Law of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation. Matthews, who will speak at 11:45 a.m. Nov. 17 in Room 170 of the Urban Life Building, will discuss “The Renaissance Underway in Public Health Law.” The event is free and open to the public. Matthews, a leading national figure in public health law, served as legal advisor to the CDC for 25 years. The institute aims to expand the use of law as a tool in public health practice. For more information, contact Jerri Nims at 404/651-0599 or jnims@gsu.edu.

International photo exhibition showcases student work
Georgia State University’s Office of International Affairs will unveil images from its annual international photo competition at 3 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Student Center Ballroom. The fifth annual “Crossing Paths, Crossing Cultures” exhibit features photographs by both study-abroad students, who took images from their adventures overseas, and international students, who chronicled their impressions of the United States. Winners of the 2004 photo competition will be announced at an awards ceremony; international students and study-abroad scholarship recipients will also be recognized at the event. College of Education Dean Ron Colarusso is the keynote speaker. A reception will immediately follow the program. The event, part of International Education Week Nov. 15-19, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Office of International Affairs at 404/463-9411.

Rialto presents McCoy Tyner Trio with Pharoah Sanders and Ravi Coltrane
Legendary jazz musicians take the stage at 8 p.m. Nov. 20 in the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts at Georgia State University. McCoy Tyner is one of the most revered and influential jazz pianists and composers of all time, constantly expanding the music’s vocabulary of color and harmony. His trio includes bassist Charnett Moffett and, on drums, Eric Harland. For this performance, Tyner will be joined by tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and Ravi Coltrane, son of jazz giant John Coltrane and a dynamic saxophonist in his own right. Call the Rialto Box Office for ticket information at 404/651-4727 or visit www.rialtocenter.org.

Holiday shopping to support good causes
Find unique, handmade holiday gifts for the lucky ones on your holiday shopping list during two seasonal events sponsored by the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design at Georgia State University. From 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Nov. 29 and 30 in Veterans Memorial Hall (30 Courtland St.), the Student League of Independent Potters and Sculptors presents its annual holiday pottery sale. Some of the proceeds will be used for scholarships and equipment for the ceramics program. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 30, The Printer’s Workshop, Georgia State’s student printmaking club, will offer original screen prints, etchings, lithographs and relief prints for sale in the Welch School Gallery lobby (corner of Peachtree Center Avenue and Gilmer Street). A portion of the proceeds goes to the club for purchase of equipment for the printmaking studio. For more information, call 404/651-2257.

School of Music offers holiday concert
The seventh annual Georgia State University School of Music Gala Holiday Concert features more than 200 student and faculty musicians as part of a university-wide celebration of the season at 8 p.m. Dec. 4 and 3 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts. The program includes treasures by Mozart, Menotti, Respighi and Vaughn Williams, and a Hanukkah medley performed by a Klezmer band. Tickets range from $16-$42 and are available in person at the Rialto Box Office, by phone at 404/651-4727, or on the Web at www.rialtocenter.org.

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