IN THIS ISSUE: ACES | LAS | LIBRARY | GSLIS | PUBLIC SAFETY
agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences
Schuyler S. Korban, a professor of molecular genetics and biotechnology in the department of natural resources and environmental sciences, received the NACTA Teacher Fellow Award at the Annual Conference of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture held at Utah State University in June.
NACTA is a professional society that focuses on promoting, recognizing and rewarding excellence in teaching agriculture and related areas at the post secondary level in North America.
Shelly J. Schmidt, a professor of food chemistry, won the 2008 Marcel Loncin Research Prize awarded by the Institute of Food Technologists, a not-for-profit international scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions.
The award was presented at the institute’s Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans. It includes a $50,000 honorarium paid in two annual installments and a plaque from IFT. With the funding, Schmidt will study the relationship between the glassy-to-rubbery transition in amorphous food materials using water vapor sorption-based experiments and compare the resultant findings to the glass transition temperature obtained by way of differential scanning calorimetry.
Kelly A. Tappenden, professor of nutrition and gastrointestinal physiology in the department of food science and human nutrition, began her term as the president of the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition on June 1. She is the second dietitian in the organization’s history to lead the society, which represents more than 5,000 health-care professionals committed to nutrition-support therapy.
Tappenden has served in several leadership capacities within the society.
liberal arts and sciences
Philippe Tondeur, emeritus professor of mathematics, received the SIAM Prize for Distinguished Service at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics’ annual meeting in San Diego on July 8.
Tondeur was recognized for his creative and dedicated leadership of the Division of Mathematical Sciences at the National Science Foundation, including the initiation of the Mathematical Sciences Priority Area and numerous partnerships that reinforce the centrality of mathematics that has left an impact that will continue to benefit the discipline for decades.
library
Melody Allison, a professor and assistant biology librarian, has created GenderBiology.net (www.genderbiology.net), a gateway to news and resources about gender biology and gender medicine. Designed to assist information and health-care professionals and consumers, the site includes postings of recent research and links for more information. Allison believes that research about gender biology and gender medicine needs to be integrated into clinical practice sooner rather than later and that librarians can play a key role in connecting users with important findings. Her article, “Women’s Health: Librarian as Social Entrepreneur,” which was published in the fall 2007 issue of Library Trends (v. 56, no. 2, pp. 423-48), served as the foundation for the development of the Web site.
Lisa Hinchliffe, professor and head of the Undergraduate Library, has been selected by the American Library Association for a panel of 12 leading gaming experts to begin a unique “Gaming for Learning” project. Funded by a $1 million grant from the Verizon Foundation, the project will track and measure the impact of gaming on literacy skills and build a model for library gaming that can be used nationally. The information will be used to build “The Librarians’ Guide to Gaming,” a comprehensive, online literacy and gaming toolbox, which then will be field-tested by libraries.
Allison Sutton, professor and subject specialist in psychology and social work, was selected as the 2008-2009 Donald C. Gallop Fellow in American Literature by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. The $4,000 award provides a one-month visiting scholar’s grant in support of her research, during which time she will review materials and complete archival documentation for an article tentatively titled, “Ties That Bind: Langston Hughes, the Librarians and the Libraries of the Harlem Renaissance.”
Mary Laskowski, professor and head of Information Processing and Management, and David Ward, professor and head of Information Services for the Undergraduate Library, have been awarded a Presidential Citation for Gaming from the American Library Association. The citation recognizes efforts to use games and gaming as tools for learning, literacy development and community development. Laskowski and Ward have developed public and classroom support programs to investigate best practices for integrating games as teaching tools into academic curricula. Their gaming initiative supports innovative teaching and research partnerships both within the academic community and between campus and the gaming industry.
library and information science
The Graduate School of Library and Information Science was named the top library and information science graduate program in North America in the 2008-2009 Survey of Academic Libraries conducted by Research and Markets.
In the survey, 75 college librarians in the U.S. and Canada were asked to list the top five master’s of library science programs in North America, based upon scholarly output and effectiveness in preparing professional librarians for practice. The University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tied for second place in the survey. The annual survey provides data about trends in staffing and salaries, budgets, special collections, use of e-books and online services, information literacy, and many other issues of interest to academic librarians.
public safety
Officer Joseph McCullough was named Police Officer of the Year at the annual Division of Public Safety Awards ceremony May 1. McCullough was honored for implementing a drug investigations program that resulted in numerous felony arrests and seizures of drugs and for strengthening relationships with other campus units and law-enforcement agencies.
Other awards:
Carol Bailey Civilian Employee of the Year Award: Katherine Johnston, telecommunicator;
Cecil Coleman Award: posthumously to Catherine Acevedo, associate dean, Dean of Students Office;
Commendation Award: Officer Barbara Robbins;
Director of Public Safety Recognition Awards: Kristine Campbell, associate vice chancellor for public engagement, Office of Public Engagement; Kip Mecum, director, Office of Campus Emergency Planning;
Division Commendations: Sgt. John Brown and Officers Doug Beckman, Troy Chew, Tove Ghent, Timothy Harper, Tim Hetrick, Aaron Landers, Laura Phillips, Bruce Rolando, Michelle Standifer and John Wright Jr.; and Tammy Beasley, telecommunicator;
Excellence in Community Policing Award: Officer Aaron Landers;
Lifesaving Award: Officer Steven Trame;
Marksmanship Awards: first place: Officer Landers; second place: Officer William Smoot; third place (tie): Officers Eric Vogt and Wright;
Merit Awards: Sgts. Brown and Joan Fiesta; Officers Robbins, Doug Beckman (2), Joseph McCullough, Michelle Ortiz (2), Nate Park, Ghent and Jeffrey McCracken;
Student Patrol Officer of the Year: Jack Manley.
Several officers and staff members also were recognized with service awards.