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The University as Mom and Pop Store.

But mainly Pop Store – a rattling down-home establishment somewhere in West Virginia where behind a rotting wooden counter “Pops,” aka Gregory A. Hand, dean of the West Virginia University School of Public Health, “hands” out, if you will, all the soda pop America’s perennially top party school – and the rest of that benighted state – desires.

Eating really bad shit and then washing the shit (and your pain pills) down with Coke is a popular West Virginia tradition, and you gotta hand it to Hand: From his perch in that state’s school of public health he can do a great deal to honor and sustain the tradition.

[WVU] disclosed that Coca-Cola had provided significant funding to Dr. Hand … The company gave him $806,500 for an “energy flux” study in 2011 and $507,000 last year to establish the [Coke-funded] Global Energy Balance Network.

It is unclear how much of the [Coke] money, if any, ended up as personal income for the professors.

“As long as everybody is disclosing their potential conflicts and they’re being managed appropriately, that’s the best that you can do,” Dr. Hand said. “It makes perfect sense that companies would want the best science that they can get.”

Absolutely! Absolutely! With the understanding that definitions of “best” may vary depending on… Well, let’s just say that when a big fat multinational like Coke scours the world and finds the best science in Pop’s lab at West Virginia University…

********************

UD has a suggestion for Hand’s campaign in West Virginia:

OVERDOSES GO BETTER WITH COKE

Margaret Soltan, August 13, 2015 11:35AM
Posted in: professors

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4 Responses to “The University as Mom and Pop Store.”

  1. charlie Says:

    UD, you sure this ain’t a failed premise for a Ma and Pa Kettle movie?

  2. Jack/OH Says:

    I read the linked article. Part of me wants to yell, “America’s drug laws are helping how??!!”

  3. John Rossei Says:

    Hi, this post is pretty offensive to the people of WV -is that your intent? It is not like anyone asked for him.

    And…. your post is incorrect factually, you have a quote indicating that WVU disclosed the information about funding? When, in fact, it was USC.

  4. University Diaries » Bravo, West Virginia University… Says:

    […] a university this blog has dumped on repeatedly for its sports-nuttiness and of course for Mr Coca Cola, for having uncovered the Volkswagen fuel […]

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