IN THIS ISSUE: education | engineering | LAS | library | GSLIS
education
In a ceremony at the University of Valladolid in Spain March 21, Robert Stake, a retired professor of educational psychology, was awarded the honoris causa, an honorary doctorate, for his theoretical and professional contributions to educational program evaluation. He spoke to an assembly of 125 dons, academic colleagues, family and friends on “Criticism and the University.” A seminar honoring him followed on March 27. The seminar’s theme was “Ethics, Politics and Practices of Program Evaluation in the New Millennium.”
engineering
The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society presented the Educator Award to Jonathan A. Dantzig, a retired professor of mechanical engineering. Dantzig received the award for his outstanding contributions to materials processing education through award-winning classroom teaching and industrial short courses, development of innovative undergraduate and graduate classes, as well for textbooks he has written.
liberal arts and sciences
Alejandro Lugo, a professor of anthropology, received the Southwest Book award from the Border Regional Library Association for his recent book, “Fragmented Lives, Assembled Parts: Culture, Capitalism and Conquest at the U.S.-Mexico Border.”
Since 1971, the award has been presented in recognition of outstanding books about the Southwest published in any genre and directed toward any audience.
The Scandinavian American Foundation has awarded Anna Westerstahl Stenport a fellowship for postdoctoral research in Scandinavian studies for her book project concerning new models of cinema production at the Swedish Film Institute and Film i Väst. Stenport is a professor of Germanic languages and literatures, of cinema studies, of comparative and world literatures, and of gender and women’s studies. The award carries a travel and research stipend for research on contemporary Swedish film and the Scandinavian film industry.
Ken Suslick, a professor of chemistry, has been selected by the Materials Research Society for the distinguished title of MRS Fellow. The title honors society members notable for their distinguished research accomplishments and outstanding contributions to the advancement of materials research worldwide. The maximum number of new fellow appointments each year is limited to 0.2 percent of the current membership. The class of fellows will be recognized at the 2009 MRS spring meeting in San Francisco.
Wilfred van der Donk, the Richard E. Heckert Chair in chemistry, has received the 2009 OBC Lecture Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry. The lecture will be given as part of the Natural Products symposium at the 42nd IUPAC congress, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, Aug. 2-7. Van der Donk recognized for his “contribution to the field of bioorganic chemistry, particularly related to lantibiotics and molecular processes associated with resistance to antiobiotics and bacterial infections,” according to the journal’s Web site.
Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua and Clarence Lang, professors of history in the department of African American studies, were selected by the Organization of American Historians to receive the 2009 EBSCOhost America: History and Life Award, which is given biennially for scholarship in American history in the journal literature advancing new perspectives on accepted interpretations or previously unconsidered topics. The awards were presented March 28 in Seattle, during the 102nd annual meeting of the organization.
Paul Kwiat and Michael Stone, professors of physics, are among the 360 Outstanding Referees of the Physical Review and Physical Review Letters journals by the American Physical Society, as chosen by the journal editors for 2009. The program recognizes scientists who have been helpful in assessing manuscripts for publication in the society’s journals.
The UI is the recipient of The American String Teachers Association’s 2009 Outstanding Student Chapter Award. The winner was revealed at the association’s national conference last month in Atlanta. Louis Bergonzi, a professor of music, is the student chapter adviser.
This award is given to a student chapter that is actively involved in promoting strings at the university and community level.
“The success of ASTA student chapters relies heavily on a strong adviser who can be a champion in directing students’ talents and energies to promote strings,” said Donna Hale, ASTA executive director. “We congratulate Illinois and Louis on a job well done in earning this much deserved award.”
library
The Association of College and Research Libraries has honored two UI librarians with a Special Presidential Recognition Award. Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, head of the Undergraduate Library, coordinator for Information Literacy Services and Instruction, and a professor of library administration, and Beth S. Woodard, a central information services librarian, are founding faculty members of the association’s Institute for Information Literacy Immersion Program. The award was presented at the ACRL 14th national conference in Seattle in March.
The immersion program, now in its 10th year, provides instruction librarians the opportunity to work intensively for 4 1/2 days on all aspects of information literacy. It consists of several tracks that offer a range of intellectual tools and practical techniques to help build or enhance instruction programs.
Jim Hahn, orientation services librarian in the Undergraduate Library, has received a 2009 Emerald Literati Network Award for Excellence. Hahn’s article “Mobile Learning for the 21st Century Librarian” published in “Reference Services Review” has been chosen as a Highly Commended Award Winner. Hahn was nominated by the editors of RSR.
Emerald is a leading international publisher of LIS and management journals.
library and information science
Linda C. Smith, a professor of library and information science, has been elected president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education. Her term began Jan. 22. As president, Smith has set the theme for the 2010 annual conference as “Creating a Culture of Collaboration.” The conference will be held in Boston in January.
The association is a non-profit organization that serves as the intellectual home of university faculty members in graduate programs in library and information science in North America.
