New Faces 2008
Among the newcomers to the Urbana campus are faculty members whose appointments began this summer or fall. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature at least two new colleagues in each fall issue.
Robert T. O’Brien, professor of veterinary clinical medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine
Education: D.V.M., Ohio State University; M.S., University of Cincinnati; B.S., University of Maine.
At Illinois: He is course coordinator for VCM 603 “Imaging Therapy/Radiology” (a fourth-year clinical rotation that is ongoing on a 12-month basis) and VCM 667 “Radiology and Radiobiology” (a lecture/lab course for third-year students fall semester). He likely will guest lecture in other courses on the topic of radiology.
Research interests: His clinical and research areas include contrast ultrasound, feline cardiopulmonary imaging; and advanced CT imaging of emergency and critical care patients.
“Dr. O’Brien is technically skilled in the fields of veterinary radiology, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and diagnostic ultrasonography,” said David Williams, head of the department of veterinary clinical medicine. “He is particularly gifted in ultrasonography and has unique expertise in the veterinary world in contrast agent enhanced abdominal ultrasonography. He has a reputation as an excellent teacher and is frequently invited to present continuing education lectures to veterinarians both nationally and internationally. He received recognition for his teaching skills while a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.”
On the Web
Suja A. Thomas, professor of law, College of Law
Education: J.D., New York University School of Law; B.A., Northwestern University (mathematics).
At Illinois: She teaches a variety of courses, from evidence to employment discrimination to sports law.
Research: Thomas’ research interests include the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial and theories of constitutional interpretation. Other areas of interest include civil procedure, employment discrimination, evidence, legal history, and sports and the law.
“Professor Suja Thomas is yet another phenomenal scholar and teacher in a long line of more than 20 outstanding faculty members who have joined the College of Law in the last six years,” said Interim Dean Ralph Brubaker. “She is one of the nation’s leading authorities on the Seventh Amendment right to jury trial, and her scholarly work is frequently cited by judges and quoted in the national media. Her scholarship is quite impressive, but equally important are her remarkable teaching talents and her ability to connect with the students. She received multiple Outstanding Teaching Awards from her peers and students at the University of Cincinnati. Our students and her peers will richly benefit from her intellectual talents and energies.” On the Web
Brendan Harley, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and faculty member in the Institute for Genomic Biology
Education: S.B., Harvard University (mechanical engineering); S.M. and Sc.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (mechanical engineering).
At Illinois: Harley will be teaching “Momentum and Heat Transfer.”
Research interests: Developing biomaterials that act as analogs of the native extracellular matrix for orthopedic and soft tissue engineering applications; using 3-D biomaterials to study how extrinsic factors regulate cell behavior.
“Prof. Harley’s arrival represents a major boost to the profile of biomolecular engineering at Illinois,” said Ed Seebauer, head of chemical and biomolecular engineering. “His deep expertise in transfusion medicine and immunology coupled with engineering represents a uniquely powerful combination that undergirds his efforts to develop new biomaterials to regenerate injured tissue, and to create special stem cell microenvironments that can regulate blood cell formation. Prof. Harley understands the economic development mission of research especially clearly, as he is already a co-founder of OrthoMimetics – a medical device startup company that is creating biomaterials to regenerate cartilage.”
Bonnie Mak, professor of library and information science, and professor in the Program for Medieval Studies
Education: B.A., Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario (medieval studies); M.A. and Ph.D., The Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame (medieval studies).
At Illinois: During the fall semester, Mak will be teaching “History of the Book” and in the spring “Medieval and Early Modern Manuscripts.”
Research interests: Her research interests include book history, history of archives and libraries, manuscript, and print and digital cultures.
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, John Unsworth, GSLIS dean, said, “Ms. Mak will take a leadership role in overseeing the Certificate in Special Collections program and other activities of the Midwest Book and Manuscript Studies Program.
“Bonnie’s work as a postdoc has been in the InterPARES (International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems) project, which focuses on the permanent preservation of electronic records. Her own dissertation research (and her forthcoming book, ‘How the Page Matters’) is on the history of the page, from manuscript to digital. It is very unusual to find someone with expertise across the history of information in Western civilization, and Bonnie fits with our school’s interest in information history, as well as with our interest in special collections and archives.”
Kenneth T. Ballom, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students
Education: Ph.D., University of North Texas (higher education); master’s, Western Illinois University (college student personnel); bachelor’s, Texas A&M (counseling and guidance education).
At Illinois: Ken Ballom joined the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs in August. He previously was the dean of students at the University of North Texas in Denton. He has been involved in higher education for more than 18 years as an active participant in every aspect of campus life from pre-orientation to alumni affairs. He is one of a small number of senior-level administrators credited with leading the University of North Texas and its division of student affairs through dramatic growth.
Ballom has earned a reputation for his ability to connect with students and understand the complex issues of student affairs in higher education. “Ken Ballom brings a wealth of experience to Illinois,” said C. Renee Romano, vice chancellor for student affairs. “He has the kind of caring, supportive attitude we need from our dean of students. I have no doubt that the students will seek him out and benefit from his guidance.”
Ballom succeeds William L. Riley, who has filled the role since 1986.
Naomi Rothman, professor of business administration, College of Business
Education: Ph.D. and M.S., Stern School of Business, New York University (management and organizations); B.A., University of California at Davis (sociology).
At Illinois: This fall, Rothman is teaching two sections of “Individual Behavior in Organizations.”
Research interests: Her research focuses on the social consequences of emotions in organizations. She investigates how the expression of complex, multi-dimensional emotions, such as emotional ambivalence, shape the emotional, cognitive and behavioral reactions of organizational participants more than the expression of unidimensional emotions, and, how the experience of emotions such as empathy, optimism and pride shape the decisions and behavior of people in organizational settings as well as outsiders who interact with these individuals.
“Professor Rothman’s work enriches our understanding of how emotions are relevant for organizational behavior,” said Huseyin Leblebici, professor and head of business administration. “It shows what role emotions play for behavior in teams, negotiations and leadership – subordinate interactions. It also helps us to build a more comprehensive understanding of emotions in organizational life.”
Tammie Rubin, assistant professor, School of Art and Design
Education: M.F.A. (ceramics), University of Washington; B.F.A. (ceramics and art history), UI.
At Illinois: Rubin will be teaching ART 103, “Design I” workshops that includes the theory and practice in the elements, processes and principles of design divided into three, five-week workshops on various topics.
Research Interests: The changing historical view of ornament and pattern in contemporary culture.
“Tammie Rubin is a Seattle-based visual artist specializing in ceramics. Her work explores the changing historical view of ornament and pattern in contemporary culture,” said Nan Goggin, interim director of the School of Art and Design. “She interweaves history, popular culture and personal experiences in both her art and in her teaching. The up-and-coming nature of Rubin’s work is attested to by a four-page feature article in Ceramics Monthly (May 2008), a pre-eminent publication in the ceramics field. In addition, her work has appeared at exhibitions in the Seattle area, Baltimore; Alexandria, Va; Lubbock, Texas; and Tulsa, Okla., among others.” Rubin most recently taught at the Kirkland Arts Center in Kirkland, Wash. Previously she taught at the Art Institute of Seattle.
Douglas C. Smith, assistant professor, School of Social Work
Education: Ph.D., University of Iowa; M.S. and B.S., University of Illinois.
At Illinois: Smith will be teaching courses on substance abuse and engaging with community-based substance-abuse agencies.
Research Interests: Substance abuse and mental health interventions, adolescent development, family therapy, racial disparities in service utilization, and technology transfer to not-for-profit social work agencies.
“Professor Smith is already recognized nationally as a leader in treatment research with adolescent substance abusers,” wrote Wynne Korr, dean of the School of Social Work. “He will make significant contributions to social work and campus initiatives on health and wellness. He was the primary administrator on a $3.75 million research project that included comprehensive assessments for more than 950 adolescents with substance abuse and mental health issues. From 2002-2007, he was the clinical director of the Adolescent Health and Resource Center, a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services-funded adolescent outpatient program. Professor Smith delivers several national presentations every year and has written numerous peer-reviewed publications and a book chapter about substance abuse and family therapy for substance-involved teens and their families.”
Chatham Ewing, assistant professor of library administration and curator of special collections in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Education: ABD (English literature), University of Missouri; M.L.S., Rutgers University; M.A. (English literature) Georgetown University; B.A. (English literature), The Johns Hopkins University.
Research Interests: Archival administration and 20th-century little (that is, literary) magazines.
At Illinois: “Chatham will be working with our special collections,” said Valerie Hotchkiss, head of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. “In particular, he’ll be working with literary manuscripts and archives and his goal, like that of RBML in general, is to provide access to all the treasures under our care and to encourage their use. Many of our literary archives are difficult to access because of antiquated or non-existent finding aids. Chatham understands the latest archival standards and has a proven track record of bringing these ‘hidden’ collections to light. We are very pleased to have him on the RBML team.”
Chatham comes to Illinois from the University of Mississippi, with previous curatorial experience at Washington University and the New York Public Library.
Jacqueline McDowell, assistant professor of recreation, sport and tourism in the College of Applied Health Sciences
Education: Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. (kinesiology), Texas A&M University.
Research Interests: Diversity management strategies and the effectiveness of diversity initiatives in intercollegiate athletics and racial and gender identity.
At Illinois: McDowell will teach a course in sports ethics during the fall and spring semesters this year. The following year she will teach an undergraduate and graduate course in human-resource management.
“McDowell’s line of research makes her a good fit with the department of recreation, sport and tourism and with the College of Applied Health Sciences,” said Cary McDonald, head of the department. “McDowell’s research is grounded in sociology with a particular research focus in sport and diversity. In particular, she examines topics such as occupational segregation, diversity and discrimination in sport, and negotiation of identities. She also will provide a welcome addition to the sport management concentration area within the RST department by using her expertise in issues of diversity in intercollegiate athletics and racial and gender identity in sport. She will provide mentorship to female and minority undergraduate and graduate sport management students in the department.”
Barry R. Pittendrigh, the C.W. Kearns, C.L. Metcalf and W.P. Flint Endowed Chair in Insect Toxicology, department of entomology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Education: Ph.D. (entomology), University of Wisconsin at Madison; M.S. (entomology), Purdue University; B.Sc. (biology), University of Regina, Canada.
Research Interests: Molecular basis of resistance to xenobiotics.
He has made significant accomplishments in three areas of insect toxicology: metabolic resistance to insecticides, resistance-management in agricultural-production systems in underdeveloped countries, and the relatively new field of insect toxicogenomics.
At Illinois: Pittendrigh is teaching an advanced topics seminar for graduate students in host-plant resistance and genetically modified crops and in spring 2009 will teach pesticide toxicology for graduate students and advanced undergraduates.
“Bringing Pittendrigh to our campus means that the UI will be home to two key insect genome projects (louse and honey bee genomes),” said May Berenbaum, head of the department of entomology. “As director of the Pediculus humanus (head and body louse) genome project, he has overseen the sequencing and annotation of this genome. As well, he is involved in coordinating the interpretation of microbial genomes associated with lice, including both pathogens and endosymbionts.
“Pittendrigh also is deeply involved in the cutting edge of outreach introducing genomic biology to the general public (including high school students) and complements our department’s ongoing efforts to promote insect appreciation in particular and science appreciation in general to the public at large.”
Wen-Tso Liu, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering
Education: Ph.D. (urban engineering), University of Tokyo; M.Eng. (environmental engineering), University of California at Berkeley; M.Sc. (environmental science), Rutgers University; B.S. (civil engineering), National Technological University of Taipei, Taiwan.
Research Interests: Molecular microbiology and microbial aspects of water and wastewater treatment processes, environmental biotechnology and nanotechnology to develop cutting-edge devices and sensors for monitoring biological contaminants in environments.
Teaching experience: Liu has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental microbiology, wastewater biotechnology and current topics in environmental biotechnology.
To better design, improve and optimize treatment processes in the long run, he collaborates closely with process-based researchers to study water and wastewater treatment processes with emphasis on microbial diversity, community structure, function and interaction.
“In Environmental Engineering and Science we currently have faculty members that focus on water and wastewater treatment processes, and on microbial physiology in natural and engineered systems,” said Charlie Werth, professor of civil and environmental engineering and leader of the EE&S area. “Wen-Tso brings a unique strength in molecular microbiology, especially as it relates to water and wastewater processes, and in the application of molecular microbiology to the development of new biological sensors.”
Teresa A. Barnes, associate professor of history, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Education: B.A. and M.A. (African economic history), University of Zimbabwe; B.A. (international relations), Brown University.
Research Interests: The experiences of Zimbabwean women through research that has relied heavily on, though not exculusively, on oral histories in the 20th century.
At Illinois: Barnes taught “Gender, Autobiography and Contemporary Southern Africa” during the fall semester and will teach “Atlantic Slave Trade From the African Perspective” in the spring.
“Professor Barnes is an established authority on various aspects of women, gender and feminist histories in Zimbabwe,” said Antoinette Burton, chair of the department. “She joins a history department with a long tradition of training African historians interdisciplinarily. Her expertise in women’s and gender studies, both in terms of history and also in terms of institutional culture, will be a tremendous asset in (Gender and Women’s Studies) by widening the vision of its core curriculum and helping to sediment a transnational Ph.D. program-in-the-making.”
Ronald Lee Jackson, associate dean for research and faculty development and professor of communications and of African American Studies, College of Media
Education: Ph.D. (rhetoric/intercultural communication), Howard University; M.A. (organizational communication), University of Cincinnati; B.A. (speech communication), University of Cincinnati.
Research Interests: Intercultural communication; identity and communication; African American communication and rhetoric; communication theory; masculinity, culture and communication; and public speaking.
At Illinois: “Jackson comes to the UI from the Pennsylvania State University with an impressive body of scholarship centered on race and identity negotiation,” said Cliff Christians, director of the UI Institute of Communications Research. “His award-winning research has appeared in many major communication journals and his eighth and most recent book on black masculinity in popular culture, ‘Scripting the Black Masculine Body,’ has been a highly regarded text on race, masculinity and communication. Additionally, he has applied his theoretical work to empirical research and to classroom pedagogy. Beyond his national leadership in academic and professional associations, Jackson served as an Administrative and Leadership Fellow at Penn State and in the Council on Institutional Cooperation/Big Ten before joining the faculty here at the UI.”
Rita Mumm, associate professor of maize breeding and genetics and director of the Plant Breeding Center, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Education: Ph.D. (genetics and plant breeding) and B.S. (agricultural science), University of Illinois.
At Illinois: Mumm plans to work on the development of corn lines that will maximize energy production per unit of land.
Research Interests: Plant breeding, genetics and cytogenetics, and quantitative genetics.
“Dr. Rita Mumm brings to Illinois a wealth of knowledge about commercial corn breeding,” said Robert G. Hoeft, professor and head of crop sciences. “In her time with industry, she was credited with making several scientific discoveries that advanced the profession of plant breeding. Her accomplishments include the development of corn lines that were more productive and less susceptible to pest problems. She was on the team that developed Roundup-resistant corn. She was credited with developing new testing systems that have allowed the breeders to move new products to the market faster and with more assurance that the product was safe.”