From the Provost

Fall 2008

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As always, I am proud to introduce another issue of Hofstra Horizons,which recognizes the fine scholarly work of our faculty. The University credits its exemplary reputation to the outstanding teachers and scholars that are the heartbeat of this institution. This issue highlights our faculty’s diverse interests as well as their expertise.

In an interesting article by Professor Julian Ku, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to consider the effects of an international court’s judgment within the American legal system is examined. Professor Ku, whose main research interest is the intersection of international and domestic law, offers his trained insight on the consequences of U.S. court findings on international court and tribunal judgments.

Bob Papper contributes a revealing and statistics-based article on the current direction of radio and television news. Professor Papper has overseen the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA)/Hofstra University Annual Survey for 15 years, and its results are featured in several newspapers, magazines and books. He is only the second person to oversee this informational data, and Hofstra students are among the first to receive up-to-date facts on the state of the media industry.

The third article in this issue focuses on research to identify preventive and clinical treatments in a maladaptive human behavior. Using an animal model, Assistant Professor of Psychology Oskar Pineño details his recent experimental investigation, which explores whether the availability of a medicine that can produce relief from the noxious effects of certain foods might result in careless or reckless consumption of potentially harmful foods. Dr. Pineño’s study probes an interesting perspective on the eating behaviors of Americans.

The last article is an informational piece on the public education of black students residing in suburban areas. Dr. Marlene Munn-Joseph has collaborated with a number of her colleagues to investigate the trend of black surburbanization and the educational outcomes of black students.Her research has prompted grants from the New York State EducationDepartment as well as Planned Parenthood of Nassau County. These grants have contributed to Dr. Munn-Joseph’s main goal of enhancing the achievements of minority students.

As the articles in this issue demonstrate, Hofstra faculty bring their energy and innovation to their instruction as well as to their scholarly endeavors. We are proud to present their research and opinions inHofstra Horizons. Congratulations to all the authors.

Sincerely,
Herman A. Berliner, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs