U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie and Federal Monitor Herbert Stern have released the final report from their two-year engagement at UMDNJ. The report noted that UMDNJ is a "much-changed institution," and that the changes, although still in process, are "noteworthy."

In a New Year's message to the University community, President William F. Owen, Jr., outlined his expectation that UMDNJ will be a place where integrity, respect, and civility between team members are paramount. He described "zero tolerance" as a simple declaration of the University’s values and emphasized that wrongdoing will not be tolerated. He noted that forward movement is a collective process in which all will be judged on how goals are achieved, not just that they are achieved.

Dr. Carolyn Bekes, professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is one of only three recipients nationally to receive the 2008 Courage to Lead Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The prestigious annual award honors those who have created an exemplary environment for educational programs; facilitated medical residents' ethical, professional, and personal development; and ensured safe and appropriate care of patients.

Dr. Bekes has demonstrated leadership in critical care medicine at a national level. She served as a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine's Test and Policy Committee for Critical Care and has risen through the leadership of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, serving as president of the organization from February 2000 to February 2001. She has also served as president of the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the chair of the American College of Critical Care Medicine Board of Regents and chair of the Critical Care Education and Research Foundation.

A report recently released by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services shows that individuals who take advantage of the services available at New Jersey Quitcenters are more than twice as likely to quit smoking as those who try to quit on their own. The study, conducted by researchers at the Center for Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation Research (CTSER) at the UMNDJ-School of Public Health, also showed that most Quitcenter clients are heavy smokers, having smoked a pack a day for 25 years.

The main goal of CTSER is to conduct research on tobacco use behavior and provide useful feedback for tobacco control initiatives. Under a contract with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, the center is also responsible for the statewide evaluation of New Jersey's Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program.