IN THIS ISSUE: DALKEY ARCHIVE PRESS | NATHAN GUNN | CAMPUS REC | ENGINEERING | LAS | GSLIS | PUBLIC AFFAIRS | UNI HIGH
Dalkey Archive Press books win major prizes
May 2008 is a good month for Dalkey Archive Press at the UI.
The press, a leading publisher of modern literature specializing in translated literature – located at and affiliated with the UI – will have received three major prizes by the end of the month.
On May 8, the world’s largest prize for literature in translation, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, was awarded to Paul Verhaeghen’s “Omega Minor,” a 700-page novel translated by the author and published by Dalkey Archive in November 2007. The prize is awarded by the Arts Council England in association with the Independent newspaper and with Champagne Taittinger in the UK.
On May 21, one of Dalkey Archive’s American writers, Rikki Ducornet, will receive an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for her lifetime achievements as a novelist and short-story writer. Dalkey Archive has published six books by Ducornet, and will publish her new collection of stories – “The One Marvelous Thing” – in November.
Another 2007 Dalkey Archive title, “Place Names,” by Jean Ricardou, has been short-listed for the French-American Foundation and the Florence Gould Foundation’s 21st Annual Translation Prize, honoring the translation of this novel from French into English by Jordan Stump. The prize will be announced May 28 at a ceremony in New York.
Dalkey Archive Press is a leading publisher of literary translations in the United States, with approximately 450 books in print from more than 30 countries. A nonprofit organization, the press moved to the UI in December 2006 to work as a partner with the newly founded Center for Translation Studies.
Nathan Gunn appears on ‘The Colbert Report’
UI Music professor Nathan Gunn has performed on stage at the world’s leading opera houses – gaining nearly as much attention for his hunky, bare-chested roles in “Billy Budd” and “An American Tragedy” as for his buttery smooth baritone voice.
But last week, Gunn may gave played his toughest gig yet. He kept his shirt on, but bared his soul – and exhibited his quick wit – in a verbal jousting match with none other than Stephen Colbert, host of the late-night TV comedy show “The Colbert Report.”
Gunn, who was cast as “Lancelot” in last week’s four-night run of “Camelot” at the New York Philharmonic, held his own from the start when Colbert suggested that opera is an “elitist” diversion for “hoity-toity people who go to the Met.”
“It’s not elitist,” Gunn protested. “It actually started as a popular art form. It was like going to the movies. Nobody had anything else to do.”
The interview segment, which also included a video clip of Gunn as the bird catcher Papageno in last year’s Metropolitan Opera production of “The Magic Flute” and images of him in the shirt-free roles.
The video of the interview may be viewed online for a limited time.
campus recreation
The Campus Recreation Learn-to-Swim program has been selected for the 2008 Best of Champaign Award in the Swimming Instruction category by the U.S. Local Business Association.
The Best of Local Business award program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the association identifies companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
engineering
Richard Braatz, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, was one of 16 scientists elected a fellow of the International Federation on Automatic Control for 2008. IFAC is a multinational federation of approximately 50 national member organizations concerned with automatic control. The award is given to people who have made extraordinary contributions in the field of interest of IFAC, in the role as an engineer/scientist, technical leader or educator. Braatz was recognized for “contributions to the robust control of industrial systems.”
Kanti Jain, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, was honored by the Optical Society with the David Richardson Medal. The award recognizes his pioneering contributions to the development of high-resolution optical microlithography technologies, especially for the invention and development of excimer laser lithography and systems for production of microelectronic devices. The David Richardson Award recognizes contributions to optical engineering, primarily in the commercial and industrial sectors.
Huimin Zhao, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, received the 2008 Young Investigator Award from the Division of Biochemical Technology of the American Chemical Society, sponsored by Genetech Inc. Zhao was cited for “pioneering contributions in the area of directed evolution for industrial and medical biotechnology applications.” He was presented the award at the society’s annual meeting in April.
liberal arts and sciences
Steve Nesbitt, a professor of atmospheric sciences, was recently awarded the New Investigator Award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The New Investigator Program in Earth Science was established by NASA to encourage the integration of Earth system science research and education by scientists and engineers at the early stage of their professional careers. Nesbitt was one of 18 selected out of 78 applicants nationwide.
As part of the proposed project, Nesbitt will focus on improving satellite precipitation measurements in complex terrain, and establish a high resolution rain gauge network near Los Alamos, N.M., to study orographic precipitation.
library and information science
The Web-based Information Science Education Consortium received the 2008 American Distance Education Consortium’s National Award for Excellence in Distance Education. WISE was co-founded in 2004 by Linda C. Smith, associate dean and professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.
The award was presented April 22 at the 2008 All-ADEC Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. Accepting the award and the accompanying $5,000 cash prize were WISE Director Kathleen Schisa of iSchool at Syracuse University, WISE+ coordinator of instructional design Anne McKinney, UI, and associate dean Ken Spelke, UI.
Schisa and McKinney also were invited to present an overview of WISE. The presentation also featured comments from WISE co-founders Bruce Kingma, associate provost for entrepreneurship and innovation at Syracuse University, and Smith.
WISE is a collaborative distance education model that seeks to increase the quality, access, and diversity of online education opportunities in library and information science.
public affairs
Work by four staff members in Creative Services was recently honored.
Graphic designer Debra Bolgla and project manager Julia Stackler received an Award of Excellence from the University and College Designers Association for their work designing and writing/editing the Institute for Genomic Biology building-dedication promotional booklet. More than 1,500 print entries were judged on the basis of excellence in concept, design, effectiveness and creativity. The association is the nation’s only association for professionals involved in visual communications for educational institutions. To view the piece, visit www.creativeservices.uiuc.edu, and click on “featured projects.”
Graphic designer Claire Napier and project manager Sarah Williams won a Cool Site Award for Design at this year’s campus Webmaster Forum, for the department of materials science and engineering Web site (www.mse.uiuc.edu).
university laboratory high school
Uni High history teacher Chris Butler was named one of 30 finalists in the first Golden Apple Central Illinois awards program. The Golden Apple Foundation has been celebrating and teaching educators in the Chicago area since 1985 and created the new program to expand the celebration and education of teachers to 18 counties in Central Illinois. Ten winners of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching were announced in April and will be honored in June.