Between the lines
> > Chicago alumni are always in the news or writing it-although they are not always identified by their class year and degree. Here are some recent sightings.

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46 Among the names on Queen Elizabeth II's New Year's Honours list this January was DNA pioneer James D. Watson, PhB'46, SB'47, DSc'61. Watson's knighthood, noted BBC's online news service, is "just the latest in a long series of awards that recognise his achievements." Knighthoods most often go to British citizens, but there was a local angle to the Queen's award: although a U.S. citizen, Watson-along with fellow 1962 Nobelists Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin-discovered DNA's double-helical structure at the University of Cambridge in 1953.

80 In mid-January Andrew M. Alper, AB'80, MBA'81, was named by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to head the Economic Development Corporation. As president of the nonprofit EDC, Alper-the CEO of the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs since 1996-will work to "protect the city's job and revenue bases, a task made much more difficult since Sept. 11," noted the Jan. 16 New York Times.

82 When the Dec. 9 New York Times Magazine reviewed "The Year in Ideas," offering an encyclopedic look at "innovations, conceptual leaps, harebrained schemes, cultural tremors & hindsight reckonings that made a difference," Julie K. Norem, AB'82, was filed under F for "Focus on the Negative." Norem, an associate professor of psychology at Wellesley College, argues that, at least for some people, positive thinking doesn't work. In The Power of Negative Thinking (Basic Books, 2001) Norem recommends that those who are anxiety prone practice "defensive pessimism," a three-step mental exercise in which you imagine a dreaded task as certain to go wrong. After envisioning all possible disasters, the next step is figuring out how to avoid each catastrophe. In a post-September 11 world, Norem said, restoring a sense of minimal control can be a comfort: "Ensuring that every piece of mail in the United States is irradiated is beyond most of our power. Buying a pair of latex gloves is not."

84 As New York's new deputy mayor of economic development and rebuilding, Daniel L. Doctoroff, JD'84, a managing partner of Oak Hill Capital Partners, is charged with attracting, retaining, and expanding business in the city. According to the Dec. 29 New York Times, Doctoroff, the former president of the nonprofit NYC2012, which seeks to bring the 2012 Olympics to New York, will continue to work toward that goal in his new post.

95 In case you missed last June's issue of Boston magazine, Brett Lambo, AB'95, was named one of Beantown's "most wanted men." The magazine profiled Lambo, who works for Imagitas, Inc., as follows: "He's the perfect package…. Charming, successful, kind, giving, romantic, and a great sense of humor are just a few of his better qualities." Asked what he'd take to a desert island, Lambo listed: "CD: Big Calm by Morcheeba. Book: A Confederacy of Dunces. Personal Item: My goldfish, Sarah." And asked what type of person "he'd vote off the island," the former political-science concentrator replied, "Someone who got defeated by the fact that they were there."
-M.R.Y.

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