Gray's Analyses: Decoding Data Using Constructed Cartography

By Dan Armstrong, Public Affairs

On a standard map, Afghanistan and Iran share a border. But from James Madison University professor Lincoln Gray's perspective, the two countries are a world apart. That's because Gray's "constructed charts" don't map items based on their physical proximity to each other, but rather their relationship to common data points-in this case, rates of successful vaccination against diphtheria. Using constructed cartography, a technique he's been developing since his completing doctoral studies, Gray has helped researchers across several fields discern clear, understandable patterns from vast amounts of complex data.— Full story.

Research Clarifies Debate Over Groundbreaking Ear Surgery

By Tim O'Keefe ('10), Public Affairs

It turns out that two ears are better than one. That may seem like an obvious conclusion to some. But among audiologists, a debate has been raging over whether an extraordinary surgical procedure offered at the University of Virginia that essentially creates a new ear for patients suffering from aural atresia is really helpful—Full Story.