News Briefs

Former Enron Finance Chief, Tufts Alum takes plea

Former Enron Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow (LA '83) and wife, Lea Weingarten Fastow (LA '83), entered a guilty plea at a federal courthouse in Houston last week, confessing to their involvement. The couple, who met during a tour of the University in their freshman year, arranged a plea that would ensure one parent could be home with their two young children.

Mr. Fastow, who graduated magna cum laude from Tufts with a degree in Chinese and economics, admitted to two counts of conspiracy to fraud, and will serve a ten-year prison sentence. Lea Fastow, who had a six-year career at Enron before leaving to raise her children, plead guilty to a charge of falsifying tax forms. She will serve a five-month sentence, five months of house arrest and a year of supervised release.

Information provided by Fastow has already led to the indictment of former Enron accounting chief, Richard Causey. He is the highest ranking Enron official to take a plea bargain so far. Prosecutors hope that information provided by the Fastows may lead them to indictments against former chairman Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling. Both maintain their innocence.



Tufts ranks high on Peace Corps list again

Tufts ranked 5th on the list of "Top Producing Colleges and Universities" for Peace Corps volunteers in 2004. Twenty-six alumni entered the program, up from last year's count (23). The University of Chicago displaced Tufts from its 2003 1st place ranking with 34 participants. Among small schools (under 5,000 undergraduates), The University of Puget Sound, Dartmouth College, and Grinnell College also ranked in the top 5.

Nationwide, interest and participation in the Peace Corps is growing. In 2003 the top 5 schools in each category sent an average of 15% more alumni than in 2003. The Peace Corps has 7,533 volunteers serving throughout the world, a high since 1974.

A total of 461 Jumbos have participated since the program's inception in 1961. "Tufts sends a large number of students to the Peace Corps because it is able to foster an environment where the values of service to others and international spirit are constantly being absorbed," said Jean Papalia of the Career Services Office. "Since we have such a strong commitment to the international perspective and service, it is not surprising that Tufts has a large number of volunteers in the Peace Corps."



Tufts senior skates to bronze at Nationals

Tufts senior David Mitchell along with his partner Loren Galler-Rabinowitz finished 3rd at the US National Skating Championships, highlighting the pair's rise into the ranks of ice dancing elite. Previously, the pair won the 2000 Novice National Title and a 2002 Junior National title. In light of the latest victory, the two will serve as alternates for the World Championships and have set their sights on a spot on the US Olympic team.

Both members of the pair have also studied full-time during the intense training required for high levels of the sport, an impressive undertaking. "The balance and rigor of doing all we do forces great efficiency", Mitchell told the Brookline TAB. After his graduation in May, Mitchell plans to devote himself full-time to his skating career.



-compiled by Katharine Schmidt