Faculty member honored in pharmaceutical sciences Vladimir Torchilin, chair of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department and director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, will receive the Research Achievement Award at the 2007 Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress (PSWC) this April in Amsterdam. Torchilin will be honored for a lifetime of contributions to the global advancement of pharmaceutical science. His most recent work includes developing treatment for cancer using tiny capsules filled with chemotherapy drugs. Torchilin was admitted early to the Moscow State University when he was 16, and in 10 years he earned his undergraduate degree, master’s degree and Ph.D. He has worked with Harvard Medical Schools and Massachusetts General Hospital, and was one of the youngest recipients of the Lenin Prize in Science and Technology. Torchilin has secured more than 45 patents and published more than 300 papers, reviews and book chapters, as well as eight full-length books.

-Mary Ann Georgantopoulos, News Staff

Alcohol and Other Drug Awareness Group established Starting this month, Felix Pizzi, the alcohol and other drug counselor, will host the Alcohol and Other Drug Awareness Group. The group will learn about the effects of alcohol and other drugs and evaluate each individual’s alcohol and drug use. Students will be able to ask questions and will have support if they are considering reducing or stopping their alcohol and drug use. Meetings will be held Thursdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, Pizzi can be reached at University Health and Counseling Services or at 617-373-7519.

-Mary Ann Georgantopoulos, News Staff

Massachusetts General Hospital in need of donors Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is in need of blood donors throughout the year, and are giving free long-sleeved t-shirts to all donors in February. The blood donation process takes about 30 minutes and MGH provides free round-trip transportation for groups of three or more donors from anywhere on a college campus. After the donation, donors are provided transportation anywhere in the Boston and Cambridge area. For more information contact Kate DeCoste, the marketing specialist at MGH, at [email protected] or at 617-726-8177.

-Mary Ann Georgantopoulos, News Staff

Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority raises money for charity The Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority and Alpha Delta Phi fraternity hosted a benefit at Boston Billiards on Feb. 3 for the Denny Fox Memorial Foundation, Helping Hearts and Minds to Heal. The foundation was created after the murder of a member’s mother in New York this summer. The member, Rebecca Fox, was a former president of the Northeastern chapter of Alpha Epsilon Phi, who graduated last year. The proceeds from the event will be used to support families affected by murder. The event included a silent auction, prizes, giveaways and performance by Project 1.9 and Alex Michaud. The night was a huge success, said Abbe Bitting, public relations chair of the sorority. The Denny Fox Memorial Foundation raised about $8,500 Saturday night, and donations are still being collected, Bitting said.

-Mary Ann Georgantopoulos, News Staff

‘Gender Matters at Northeastern’ lecture Thursday English and women’s studies professor Carla Kaplan will give a lecture on her upcoming book, “Miss Ann in Harlem: the White Women of the Black Harlem Renaissance,” tomorrow from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute’s Cabral Center in West Village F. The lecture is the first in the “Gender Matters at Northeastern” series, which is sponsored by the women’s studies program. The series will feature other Northeastern speakers who are knowledgeable on class, ethnicity, race and religion. President Joseph Aoun will give opening remarks.

-Brian Benson, News Staff

New musical composed by prof debuts at Blackman “At Swim, Two Boys,” a new musical, whose score was composed by Northeastern music professor Allen Feinstein, will be performed at 8 p.m. this Friday and Saturday in Blackman Auditorium. Set in 1915 during World War I and the Easter Rising, the play describes the romance that develops between two teenage boys in Dublin, Ireland. The musical, which will feature professional actors and a pit orchestra, was based on the novel by Jamie O’Neill, written by Bob Sennett and directed by Tony Parise. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $10 for Northeastern faculty and staff and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the Northeastern Center for the Arts Box Office or by calling 617-373-2247. -Brian Benson, News Staff