T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
The Chronicle
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 74
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
Winter Forum illuminates problems facing refugees
Experts dispute implications of hydrofracking by Andrew Luo THE CHRONICLE
TYLER SEUC/THE CHRONICLE
Muslim Chaplain Abdullah Antepli and Rwandan refugee Innocent Justice speak at the 2012 Winter Forum at the Fuqua School of Business. by Margot Tuchler THE CHRONICLE
Although a majority of Duke students spent the final days of winter break settling back into campus, about 100 students instead dedicated their time to learning about an issue that affects more than 360 million people worldwide. At this year’s Winter Forum, titled “Refugees, Rights, Resettlement,” stu-
dents focused on displacement: the involuntary movement of people from the places they call home. Bringing together academics, humanitarian leaders, policy makers and students, the forum included a series of events and speakers discussing problems that accompany displacement and the resettlement processes. “The goal [was] to essentially walk students through the life course of ref-
ugees from initial displacement to the point of a state of warehousing [in refugee camps]... or to repatriation or resettlement... highlighting ethical challenges along the way,” said Suzanne Shanahan, associate director for the Kenan Institute for Ethics, which hosted the Winter Forum this year. “We’re trying to energize students around the
Despite its contribution to economic growth, the controversial process of “fracking” poses serious environmental risks, nationally acclaimed experts said Monday. Advocates and critics from environmental protection groups and research institutions gathered at the Reynolds Industries Theater for a workshop on the implications of fracking—a technique that extracts natural gas deposits by pumping water and chemicals deep into shale rock formations. The event was sponsored by the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum at the School of Law, and it was funded by the National Science Foundation. Hydraulic fracturing and shale gas development has garnered national attention because of the process’s association with methane and water contamination. “Shale gas exploitation through fracking may save America from foreign oil, but it seems to cause methane contamination in the Appalachian basin,” said Avner Vengosh, professor of earth and ocean sciences at the Nicholas School. “Sustainable and long-term shale gas developments will need to accommodate the environmental issues associated with shale gas drilling and fracking.” More than 15 million gallons of water per day are being used for fracking, Vengosh said. He noted that private wells located within one kilometer of a shale gas site typically have higher
SEE FORUM ON PAGE 8 SEE FRACKING ON PAGE 5
Potti letter addresses scandal Former researcher calls Rhodes controversy a misunderstanding
Peers question Potti’s defense of research and clinical care
by Taylor Doherty
by Taylor Doherty
THE CHRONICLE
THE CHRONICLE
In an application to practice medicine in South Carolina, former Duke researcher Dr. Anil Potti wrote that calling himself a Rhodes Scholar on his curriculum vitae was an honest mistake stemming from a cultural misunderstanding. The once renowned Duke doctor resigned from the University November 2010 following accusations that he had exaggerated his credentials on grant applications. Potti, who joined a medical practice with offices in South Carolina after leaving Duke, wrote in his application to Anil Potti the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners that he was nominated for a “Rhodes Scholarship from the Australian Board” in 1995 while he was in medical school in India. Pottti wrote that the reason he later called himself a Rhodes Scholar was
Critics say Dr. Anil Potti was arguably misleading in describing the errors in his cancer research when applying for a medical license in South Carolina, where the practice he now works for is headquartered. In the past year, the former Duke cancer researcher and his coauthors have retracted eight academic papers, citing data corruption issues and the inability of other experts to replicate the results. At the time of its publishing, the research was considered potentially groundbreaking because it claimed to demonstrate the ability to genetically predict which cancer patients would respond to specific types of chemotherapy. When Potti applied to practice medicine in South Carolina in January 2011, he described the controversy surrounding his research in a letter to the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners as involving “two academic rival groups,” one at Duke and
SEE RHODES ON PAGE 6
ALE targets underage drinkers, Page 4
SEE APPLICATION ON PAGE 7
CAROLINE RODRIGUEZ/THE CHRONICLE
Hannah Wiseman, a professor at Florida State University, speaks about the legal regulations surrounding fracking.
ONTHERECORD
“As a freshman, I was one of those kids who believed that you could divide majors up in to two categories: real and fake.” —Scott Briggs in “Musing on majors.” See column page 19
Accident damages East Campus wall, Page 3