Staff Editorial: An Intellectual Crime

James M. Wilson's academic career has seen its share of dramatic change over the last few years.

The once-revered director of the Institute for Human Gene Therapy was, at one time, a leading scientist in his field -- a true pathfinder in a revolutionary field of science. But a series of research deficiencies, ethical lapses and the death of 18-year-old research subject Jesse Gelsinger under his watch destroyed Wilson's stature in the scientific world. And they nearly crippled Penn's ability to continue the research that he had once pioneered.

Since Wilson's ethical issues came to light, not much has changed with regard to the controversial scientist. The IHGT remains under his questionable leadership. Penn continues to stand firmly behind its man. And neither, it appears, are yet willing to publically confront the issues that brought such dire consequences just a few years ago.

The latest chapter in that sad saga was written last night, when Wilson -- with the apparent support of his administrative colleagues -- dodged media questions about his past struggles, even as he met with 15 undergraduates as part of the preceptorials program.

The nature of the preceptorials, of course, lends itself to small, intimate discussions. Closeness between professor and student in these situations is vital, and to that end, Wilson's privacy is to be expected.

But the facts suggest that Wilson's silence has more to do with his reluctance to confront his past than it does his commitment to preceptorial privacy. That may explain why the location of the session was kept secret -- even from its participants -- and why students were asked to refrain from speaking to reporters about their discussions.

Tactics like those serve only to stop the flow of vital information, and they violate the principles of openness and freedom of thought upon which this University does its work. Furthermore, they only build further suspicion around a man who has faced massive criticism in recent years -- and who has never bothered to address such issues openly to the community which his failures most directly affect.

Hopefully, Wilson will recognize these intellectual crimes in his coming sessions. And hopefully, he will finally see fit to publically address the issues that have paralyzed his career.

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