June 2003: Vol. 82, No. 3

UGA in the news

An April 15 article in The Christian Science Monitor reported on a trend of Americans not paying their taxes, a problem that cost the government $207 billion last year alone—enough to pay this year's projected deficit with money to spare. Part of the problem, says UGA law professor Walter Hellerstein, is that tax regulations are so confusing. "The complexity of the code encourages noncompliance," he says. "Things have to be made easier." USA TODAY reported on April 24 that in ongoing talks with Bush administration officials, North Korea has said that it has not just begun creating nuclear weapons, but, in fact, has already developed them. While U.S. Intelligence has been unable to confirm that claim, Han Park, director of UGA's Center for the Study of Global Issues—and a person respected by officials in both North and South Korea—says the claim is part of North Korea's struggle for power and an attempt to ward off a U.S. attack. "They have to let the United States know they can retaliate," said Park. The Washington Post reported on April 28 that following last year's high profile accounting scandals, U.S. firms are coming forth in record numbers to recalculate and restate previous years' earnings. While there are certainly dishonest firms in existence, UGA professor Dennis Beresford notes that accounting is not always an exact science. "For too long, most people have thought of accounting as very, very precise," says Beresford, former chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board. "People think that if earnings are reported at $1.39 a share, they are exactly $1.39, when, in fact, if different estimates had been used, there's a range of answers that would be available for any public company." The Associated Press reported on May 5 that UGA alumnus and retired professor Salai Tun Than (MS '55), who was arrested in Myanmar in November 2001 for protesting against that country's military regime, has been released from prison. Tun Than's imprisonment had been the cause of worldwide protests, including demonstrations by UGA students. A May 6 article in The Wall Street Journal reports that worldwide focus on "dual-use technology" has increased as the United Nations and the European Union work to regulate the exportation of products with both civilian and military applications. Items under scrutiny include fertilizer chemicals that can be used in chemical weapons, switches for laboratory use that can go into nuclear bombs, and supercomputers that can plot missile trajectories. Scott Jones of UGA's Center for International Trade and Security said that dual-use technology amounted to $16.8 billion of U.S. exports in 2001, accounting for 3 percent of the total amount. A May 6 article in The New York Times highlights recent gains for women in science, a field in which women have historically not risen in the ranks or received awards at a rate nearly equal to men. In a drastic swing from the norm, the National Academy of Sciences conferred its prestigious membership on 17 women this year, nearly a quarter of the inductees. UGA alumnae Dr. Cornelia I. Bargmann (BS '81) and Dr. Cynthia J. Kenyon (BS '76), both now of the University of California at San Francisco, were among those honored.

Invention leads to FDA-approved pharmaceutical for humans
Sight for sore eyes

(Please note: This story, written by editor Judy Purdy, will appear in the spring/summer issue of the award-winning University of Georgia Research Magazine. It has also previously appeared in UGA's faculty-staff newspaper, Columns.)

People with a disease called chronic dry eye will have access to a new treatment this spring. In December, the FDA approved the drug Restasis for chronic dry eye in humans. The prescription drug is based on University of Georgia research conducted by veterinary ophthalmologist Renee Kaswan, a former professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

"Dr. Kaswan has invented an important treatment," says Rob Fincher, UGA director of technology commercialization. "To my knowledge this will be the first prescription drug to go on the market that treats dry eye in people by allowing the tear ducts to produce tears."

Dry eye is characterized by an insufficient production of tears, which lubricate the eye and remove foreign debris. Because the cornea lacks blood vessels, it also depends upon tears to provide proteins required for tissue health and repair.

"Dr. Kaswan's invention reduces inflammation of the tear ducts," says Fincher, "and enables them to resume their normal functions."

Previous treatments were "basically wetting agents for the eye," says Kaswan, an expert on corneal diseases in dogs. Her invention not only "allows tear glands to regenerate . . . [but also] decreases inflammation in the cornea, conjunctiva and eyelids, further relieving the signs and symptoms of ocular surface disease."

Each year, an estimated 1,000,000 people in the United States experience symptoms caused by chronic dry eye—also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS. The irritating and often painful condition can lead to serious cornea damage.

More than a decade ago Kaswan began developing and implementing a treatment for dry eye, a common cause of canine blindness. She found that ultra-low doses of cyclosporine—a drug used in organ transplant patients to suppress the body's rejection responses—are an effective treatment for canine dry eye. Her research netted her UGA's Inventor of the Year Award in 1998 and its Creative Research Medal in 1992.

While many prescription drugs are developed for people and later used for dogs, "this may be the first time a drug has been developed first for veterinary use," says Kaswan, "and then tested and approved for use in human patients."

Her canine drug invention, Optimmune, was the first of its kind and was approved for use in dogs in 1994, says Fincher. The late university bulldog mascot Uga IV was among the first canines to benefit from the treatment, which is now marketed in more than 35 countries (see story below).

The University of Georgia Research Foundation holds patents on the Kaswan invention. The foundation is a private, non-profit organization established to enhance the UGA research environment and to make UGA's patented inventions available for commercial development. It granted a license to Novartis AG, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, to distribute the treatment for human use. Novartis then sublicensed the rights to Allergan Inc., a California-based pharmaceutical company that will manufacture and distribute Restasis.

—Judy Purdy

Uga IV: "The ultimate test animal"

In the summer of 1987, the University's bulldog mascot—Uga IV—was suffering from a dry eye problem that would no longer respond to traditional medication.

Fortunately, Dr. Renee Kaswan, then a UGA professor of veterinary opthalmology and pharmacology, had been experimenting with cyclosporine—a drug used to prevent organ rejection in human transplant patients—as a treatment for animals with eye problems.

In July, with Uga IV at risk for corneal ulcers—even blindness—Dr. Kaswan started him on a two-percent Cyclosporine solution.

"We were told that he was one of only four dogs in the country to undergo the experimental treatment," says Uga's owner, Sonny Seiler (BBA '56, JD '57). "Seven weeks later, Uga IV's eye was no longer inflamed and there was a notable increase in tear flow."

Years later, a 1998 issue of the Medical Tribune used a photo of Uga IV to illustrate a feature story on Dr. Kaswan. The layout included medical photos of Uga's left eye before and after cyclosporine treatment. The comparison was extraordinary, tear production increased, and through continued use of the drug—under the care of Dr. Kaswan and her UGA colleague, Dr. Victoria Pentlarge—Uga IV's sight was saved and no surgery was necessary. In Uga IV's medical records, Dr. Kaswan made the following entry:

"Uga is the ultimate test animal."

—Kent Hannon

Interim head becomes full-time senior vp for academic affairs
Mace is provost

Arnett C. Mace Jr., who had been interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at UGA for six months, now has the job permanently. Chosen by President Michael F. Adams from among five finalists identified in a national search, Mace fills the second-highest post in the University's administration.

Mace was dean of UGA's Warnell School of Forest Resources when Adams tapped him last October to temporarily fill the position left vacant when Karen Holbrook became president at Ohio State. An authority on water and natural resource management, Mace had been forestry dean since coming to UGA in 1991 from the University of Florida.

"While serving in an interim capacity, Arnett has demonstrated the ability to carry out the many responsibilities of this position with great proficiency and resourcefulness," says Adams. "He has shown that he can make the tough decisions that come with the job. But more importantly, he has shown that he is totally committed to our goals of academic excellence, and that he has the vision and skills to help lead us to that higher plane."

Mace is UGA's chief academic officer with responsibility for all operations involving instruction, research, public service and outreach, and student affairs. The vice presidents in each of these areas, along with the deans of UGA's 14 schools and colleges, report to him. Associate provosts in information technology, institutional diversity, institutional effectiveness, international affairs, libraries, and the Honors Program also report to Mace. Other units under the provost include the Georgia Museum of Art, The Georgia Review, the Gerontology Center, the Office of Academic Enhancement, the Office of Performing Arts, and the University of Georgia Press.

While serving as interim provost, Mace has been deeply involved in managing state-mandated cuts to the university's budget. He has created a task force to find ways to improve information technology on campus, and he is working closely with the admissions office and other units on ways to increase minority enrollment. He has also played a key role in starting new UGA degree programs and building enrollment at the Gwinnett University Center.

"Despite the economic downturn accompanied with state budget reductions, we are not only sustaining but advancing the quality of the university," says Mace. "My regard and confidence in the people of this university have increased immensely during these last six months. Their resolve and conviction convince me that we will not only sustain our program quality during these difficult times, but we will continue to advance the excellence for which we are recognized."

—Larry Dendy (ABJ '65)

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