In recognition of the Sanford Institute’s growth and success over the last 38 years, Duke Board of Trustees approve its transition to school status as of July 1, 2009. Duke President Richard H. Brodhead says the new school is “crucial to our mission of bringing knowledge to the service of society.”

A small group of leaders from nonprofit and commercial media, foundations and academia will gather May 4-5 at Duke University’s Sanford Institute of Public Policy for a series of working sessions to explore new models for nonprofit ownership of media. One conference paper has been made available in advance: “A Nonprofit Model for The New York Times?” by Penelope Muse Abernathy.

The Sanford Institute of Public Policy has established the Susan Tifft Undergraduate Teaching/Mentoring Award in honor of the longtime Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy. Tifft, who has taught at Duke since 1998, will step down in July.

DURHAM, N.C.-- Patenting of genes has not resulted in a pattern of exorbitant pricing or restricted access to tests for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and breast cancer, Duke University researchers report in Wednesday’s Nature magazine. However, genetic testing monopolies are creating significant problems, say authors Robert Cook-Deegan, Subhashini Chandrasekharanand Misha Angrist.