By Sharon Wisch-Ray

Now that our No. 1 son, Benjamin, has decided to matriculate at Texas A&M University next fall, I am learning many new things about being Jewish in Aggieland.
Although we regularly run news items on the Jewish experience in College Station, albeit not as much as we run on UT-Austin, it really hadn’t hit home for me what a rich Jewish experience one can have at A&M.
I have Ben Deutsch, an Aggie junior to thank for enlightening me. Ben is the president of Sigma Alpha Mu this year and will be the president of Hillel next year. He called to share with me that prospective Aggies are invited to College Station next weekend for the second annual Aggie Jewish Open House, April 19-21.
A full complement of activities is planned starting with Shabbat dinner on Friday night. Students can stay in a hotel with their parents or with a current student. The program itself is free.
In addition to the Sammies, Zeta Beta Sigma, the Jewish sorority on campus; A&M Chabad; and A&M Hillel will sponsor the weekend.
For information, visit aggiejewishopenhouse.com or call 404-790-2988.
Incidentally, Deutsch, who hails from Atlanta, is a third-generation Aggie. He is a sports management major and currently works for the Aggie football team.

Finance topic of NCJW meeting

When the National Council of Jewish Women Dallas Section convenes its spring meeting Monday, April 15 at the Federal Reserve Bank in Downtown Dallas, the topic will be “Who Controls Your Purse Strings?”
Building financial confidence empowers an individual in all aspects of life, according to NCJW literature. The ability to earn, save and spend to meet one’s personal needs and wants is a learned skill. The focus of the spring meeting is to educate participants financially and for NCJW to provide future learning opportunities for others to reach higher ground.
Cost of the meeting is $15 and includes a continental breakfast. RSVP is a must. Contact the NCJW office at 214-368-4405.
Please consider donating a new or gently used wallet or purse for the women served by Attitudes & Attire. If you so choose, tuck a monetary present or a gift card into the purse and enhance the joy of giving and receiving.
In addition to the program, members will vote on the following slate of officers: president, Robin Zweig; president-elect/vice president administration, Caren Edelstein; vice presidents community service, Lynn Goldstein and Joyce Rosenfield; vice presidents financial development, Staci Mankoff and Sheryl Lilly Pidgeon; vice presidents membership, Rachelle Weiss Crane and Randi Smerud; vice president public affairs, Debra Levy-Fritts; vice presidents public relations, Stacy Barnett and Stacy Blank; secretary, Ellen Marks; associate secretary, Sharon Childs; treasurer, Carol Weinstein and associate treasurer, Jayme Cohen.
Directors nominated for 2013-2015 are Rabbi Ana Bonnheim, Yolanda Clark, Rita Doyne, Sondra Hollander, Jolie Newman, Melissa Plaskoff, Barbara Rose and Karen Stock. Directors for 2013-2014 are Lauren Busch, Laura Diamond, Michelle Goldstein, Renee Karp, Linnie Katz, Dana Rose, Amy Schachter and Debby Stein.
The nominating committee comprised chair Barbara Lee, Kristen Fagelman, Myra Fischel and Linda Garner.
The spring meeting is chaired by Carol Pinker and Phyllis Stoup.

Gilman named fellow at cancer research association

Nobel Laureate Dr. Alfred Gilman, regental professor emeritus of pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been elected one of the inaugural fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research, the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research preventing and curing cancer.
Gilman’s work identifying G proteins and their critical role in how cells communicate to function properly has been instrumental to understanding numerous diseases, including the development of tumors, according to UT Southwestern. Its significance resulted in Gilman sharing the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
“It is an honor to be recognized with such a distinguished assembly of scientists and physicians,” Gilman said of the AACR fellowship. “Hopefully, the creation of the academy will bring additional needed attention to the importance of cancer research, and ongoing efforts to prevent and treat the many forms of this disease.”
The AACR Academy was created to recognize and honor distinguished researchers whose major scientific contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer.
“Dr. Gilman’s enduring discovery of G proteins and the critical functions continue to fuel important research in the field of cancer and have provided the basis for therapeutic advancement,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, president of UT Southwestern. “His contributions as a scientist, teacher, and leader are legion, and his dedication to serving the scientific community and UT Southwestern is an ongoing source of pride.”
Gilman recently served as chief scientific officer of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and previously served UT Southwestern as dean of the medical school, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost for the medical center, and as director of the Cecil H. and Ida Green Comprehensive Center for Molecular, Computational and Systems Biology.
Gilman served 24 years as chairman of pharmacology and was the primary editor of the textbook “Goodman and Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics.”
Gilman’s Nobel-winning research found the following:
Trillions of cells interact in concert with each other in humans. The cells communicate with each other using chemical signals, and the information inherent in these signals needs to gain access to the cell interior. G proteins are crucial middle men in interpreting, transmitting, and amplifying these regulatory signals as they move from the outside to the inside of the cell.
Disruptions to the cellular communication process are the foundation for many diseases. For example, overactive G proteins are a characteristic of some tumors, while other interruptions to the process can lead to skeletal deformation, metabolic problems, and compromised immunity.

News and notes

Stan Levenson, co-founder of Levenson & Brinker Public Relations, presented an executive roundtable March 20 as part of the Edwin L. Cox Business Leadership Center’s programming for Cox MBA students at Southern Methodist University.
Through the BLC, Cox graduate students gain insight into various facets of business leadership. BLC instructors are business leaders from prominent national and international companies who come to the SMU campus to share extensive knowledge with Cox students.
BLC instructors include representatives from Accenture, Container Store, Dell and Thornton, LLC.
Although no class credit is given for attendance, students consistently rate what they have learned from BLC instructors as extremely valuable, and many students say that the BLC was a major factor in their decision to attend Cox.

Passing the baton

Starting with next week’s column, my sister, Linda Wisch Davidsohn, will begin writing Dallas Doings.
Many of you may remember that Linda wrote this column for many years in the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s. She’s a gifted writer, and I’m delighted that she’ll be joining the TJP team of contributors.
Send your news to her at Lindawd@texasjewishpost.com.
As for me, just turn the page, and you’ll see more of me in Around the Town, as I step into coverage of my hometown of Fort Worth and the surrounding areas.
Both Linda and I can’t wait to continue to share your news with the North Texas Jewish community.