IN THIS ISSUE: ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | FAA | IGPA | LAS | FORTY UNDER 40
alumni association
Barbara Hundley, retired associate chancellor of alumni relations, will receive the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Eastern Illinois University Alumni Association at an awards dinner Oct. 18.
The award, the most prestigious honor bestowed by the association, is presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves in either academic or literary fields, business, public service and/or service to the university and who, have brought prestige to their alma mater.
fine and applied arts
Sever Tipei, professor of composition and music theory and NCSA/UI Faculty Fellow for the academic year 2008-2009, lectured for six weeks at the National University of Music at Bucharest, Romania, as a Fulbright Senior Specialist. Two of his works were premiered at contemporary music festivals in Bucharest and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
government and public affairs
Economist J. Fred Giertz was honored for 28 years of service and generous support to the Institute of Government and Public Affairs when director Robert F. Rich dedicated the conference room at the institute’s Urbana office building in his honor on Sept. 3.
“Fred Giertz has provided incredible service to IGPA, the university and the state of Illinois,” Rich said. “He is without peer in his knowledge of the economy and tax structure of our state and it is our honor to have him with us. It is really appropriate that we name our conference room in his honor.”
Giertz joined the economics faculty and IGPA in 1980. He has produced the monthly UI Flash Index, an indicator of the Illinois economy, since 1995 and serves as interim head of the economics department.
liberal arts and sciences
Scott Denmark, professor of chemistry, has been selected to receive the 2009 Herbert C. Brown Award for Creative Research in Synthetic Methods. The award, granted without regard to age or nationality, is given to a person who has accomplished outstanding and creative research involving the discovery and development of novel and useful methods for chemical synthesis. The award includes a $5,000 prize and a medallion.
David C. Grove, professor emeritus of anthropology, won the American Anthropological Association’s Alfred Vincent Kidder Award for Eminence in the Field of American Archaeology. The award, established in 1950, is given every two years to an outstanding archaeologist specializing in the archaeology of the Americas.
Brent Roberts has been named a Richard and Margaret Romano Professorial Scholar by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The award recognizes his outstanding achievements in research.
Forty Under 40
Four UI employees have been honored among the “Forty Under 40” recognized by Central Illinois Business magazine on Sept. 10. The awards were presented to successful area business men and women “who also value family and strive to make their communities better places.” Those honored from the UI:
Wendy Harris, 38, is director of budget and resources planning for the department of mathematics. She was cited for her community involvement as a member of the board of directors for the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company and for volunteerism with the Girl Scouts.
Luis Narvaez, 26, is a counselor at the Office of Minority Student Affairs, part of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Narvaez’s community involvement includes the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation; being a facilitator at the “Great Schools, Together” community forums for Unit 4 schools; and being a helper in the Latino Families of Southern Illinois project.
Jami Painter, 38, is director of employee relations and human resources in university administration. Her community involvement includes the Society for Human Resource Management, Central Illinois Human Resource Group and Executive Club of Champaign County.
Kimberly Sugden, 26, is associate director of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Her community involvement includes teaching the FastTrac Growth Venture course to entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses.
