Wellesley Wire 2/11/02

Wellesley Researcher Team Uses Economic Analysis to Predict Olympic Medal Range -- Even before the Olympic torch was lit in Salt Lake City, a faculty-student research team at Wellesley had predicted the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals that will be won by each participating nation. Their analysis reveals that a country's per-capita income, location, and political structure all affect the ability of nations to send athletes and to win medals. The analysis was the second Olympic collaboration by economics professor Dan Johnson and former Wellesley student Ayfer Ali. In 2000, they used the same methods to predict participation and medal counts for the Sydney Summer Games. Their results were strikingly accurate, with correlations around 0.95.

Johnson was interviewed about his research Feb. 6 on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." The interview is online (scroll down to "Olympic Predictions") at http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/cmnpd01fm.cfm?PrgDate=2%2F6%2F2002&PrgID=2

For more information about the research, visit http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Releases/2002/013002.html. We'll have a follow-up story in a future issue of WellesleyWire to check the accuracy of the predictions.

Trustees Act On Range of Fiscal, Academic, and Planning Issues -- At its Feb. 1 meeting, Wellesley's board of trustees voted to approve several recommendations from the president. The trustees approved a comprehensive fee for the '02-'03 year of $34, 944, a 4.6 % (or $1,550) increase from the current year. The decision follows an established guideline to hold tuition increases to 2% above general inflation and was recommended to the president by the budget advisory committee. The trustees also set next year's endowment spending rate at 4.5% of the endowment's three-year average. With these two revenue streams finalized, the administration will complete next year's budget and bring it to the trustees for approval at their April meeting.

The trustees approved the five recommendations for tenure presented by the Committee on Faculty Appointments. The newly-tenured faculty are Elena Creef, women's studies; Margaret Keane, psychology; Peggy Levitt, sociology; James Noggle, English; and Franklyn Turbak, computer science.

After a presentation by consulting architects, including preliminary schematic models, the board approved an overall budget of $60.9 million for the campus center, underground car storage facility, and the extensive restoration of Alumnae Valley. The projects now move to the design development phase, which will include widespread campus consultation. The Office for Administration and Planning will hold open meetings on the campus center and Alumnae Valley projects later in the semester. For more information on the campus center and Alumnae Valley projects, visit http://www.wellesley.edu/AdminandPlanning/cc.html.

Wellesley Celebrates Black History Month -- Wellesley College celebrates Black History Month during February with a variety of lectures, exhibitions, and performances, including a talk by Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, and a guided tour of the Davis Museum and Cultural Center's works by artists of African descent. For more information, visit http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Releases/2002/021102.html.





	~Wellesley Wire - 2002~

	Wellesley Wire February 11, 2002 Wellesley Researcher Team Uses Economic Analysis to Predict Olympic Medal Range Trustees Act On Range of Fiscal, Academic, and Planning Issues Wellesley Celebrates Black History Month Wellesley Researcher Team Uses Economic Analysis to Predict Olympic Medal Range -- Even before the Olympic torch was lit in Salt Lake City, a faculty-student research team at Wellesley had predicted the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals that will be won by each participating nation. Their analysis reveals that a country's per-capita income, location, and political structure all affect the ability of nations to send athletes and to win medals. The analysis was the second Olympic collaboration by economics professor Dan Johnson and former Wellesley student Ayfer Ali. In 2000, they used the same methods to predict participation and medal counts for the Sydney Summer Games. Their results were strikingly accurate, with correlations around 0.95. Johnson was interviewed about his research Feb. 6 on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." The interview is online (scroll down to "Olympic Predictions") at http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/cmnpd01fm.cfm?PrgDate=2%2F6%2F2002&PrgID=2 For more information about the research, visit http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Releases/2002/013002.html. We'll have a follow-up story in a future issue of WellesleyWire to check the accuracy of the predictions. Trustees Act On Range of Fiscal, Academic, and Planning Issues -- At its Feb. 1 meeting, Wellesley's board of trustees voted to approve several recommendations from the president. The trustees approved a comprehensive fee for the '02-'03 year of $34, 944, a 4.6 % (or $1,550) increase from the current year. The decision follows an established guideline to hold tuition increases to 2% above general inflation and was recommended to the president by the budget advisory committee. The trustees also set next year's endowment spending rate at 4.5% of the endowment's three-year average. With these two revenue streams finalized, the administration will complete next year's budget and bring it to the trustees for approval at their April meeting. The trustees approved the five recommendations for tenure presented by the Committee on Faculty Appointments. The newly-tenured faculty are Elena Creef, women's studies; Margaret Keane, psychology; Peggy Levitt, sociology; James Noggle, English; and Franklyn Turbak, computer science. After a presentation by consulting architects, including preliminary schematic models, the board approved an overall budget of $60.9 million for the campus center, underground car storage facility, and the extensive restoration of Alumnae Valley. The projects now move to the design development phase, which will include widespread campus consultation. The Office for Administration and Planning will hold open meetings on the campus center and Alumnae Valley projects later in the semester. For more information on the campus center and Alumnae Valley projects, visit http://www.wellesley.edu/AdminandPlanning/cc.html. Wellesley Celebrates Black History Month -- Wellesley College celebrates Black History Month during February with a variety of lectures, exhibitions, and performances, including a talk by Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, and a guided tour of the Davis Museum and Cultural Center's works by artists of African descent. For more information, visit http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Releases/2002/021102.html. Back to top Back to the Wellesley Wire Archives Back to the Wellesley Wire Homepage

	Office for Public Information Date Last Modified: July 9, 2003

February 11, 2002