Six academic professionals honored with CAPE award
By John Loos, Student Intern
By Sharita Forrest, Assistant Editor 217-244-1072; slforres@illinois.edu
| | | <strong>Photo by L. Brian Stauffer</strong><hr /><br /> | | Adele Proctor, professor, speech & hearing science, with graduate students Mary Ratliff (at left, seated) and Mary Newman (at right, seated). With some fo the testing equipment used to evaluate coginitive abilities of those who have suffered from brain injuries. | | |
Six UI employees will receive the 2004 Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence award. Now in its 16th year, the award program is designed to recognize the importance of contributions made by academic professionals on campus. Recipients are chosen for excellence in the work, personal and professional contributions they make to their fields and the positive impact they have had on colleagues, students and the public. A committee of 12 academic professionals from units across campus reviewed more than 30 nominations and unanimously recommended to Chancellor Nancy Cantor this year’s award winners. An awards ceremony and reception is scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. April 7 in the Beckman atrium. At the ceremony, each recipient will receive $2,000 and a $1,000 increase in base salary effective Aug. 16. They also will receive $1,000 in their departmental budget to be used at their discretion.
Laura L. Bauer was hired in 1990 by the department of animal sciences to manage lab activities and do collaborative research with professors in a temporary capacity. However, her talents and leadership abilities have led her to a much more prominent role in one of the most active and dynamic research programs in animal nutrition in the United States. Bauer, research specialist in agriculture, supervises the wet chemistry laboratories and intensive animal facilities for the animal nutrition program, which is top-rated in the nation. She has developed, redefined and implemented techniques in nutritional biochemistry/animal nutrition in her role as a laboratory technician. “Laura Bauer is a truly outstanding academic professional employee of the University of Illinois,” wrote Neal R. Merchen, professor and head of animal sciences, in nominating Bauer. “She works hard and her work is of the highest quality. She relates well to all with whom she comes in contact, and she has the good of our group and the department of animal sciences in mind as she goes about her daily work.” Bauer’s expertise in the area of high performance liquid chromatography has led to reliable measurements of food and feed carbohydrates, something few laboratories around the world have the capability of doing comprehensively. Bauer supervises animal care, monitors the laboratory budget, orders supplies, oversees the maintenance of the equipment and supervises the undergraduate student employees. However, one of her most valuable roles is that of an instructor of research techniques to the students working in the lab. She routinely participates in the teaching of Animal Sciences 403 and has had an impact on the careers of nearly 200 students since joining the staff.
Robert E. Dunker has served as the superintendent of the Crop Sciences and Research Education Center at the UI for five years and in that time he has helped the department and the college make advances in several areas, most notably in data archiving and worker safety. He also helps with research for more than 50 faculty members and graduate students on more than 800 acres of land, teaches an undergraduate course, hosts field tours, and serves as an adviser to the Field and Furrow undergraduate student organization. “Mr. Dunker sets an outstanding example of professionalism that is a model for employees, students and peers,” wrote Gary H. Heichel, professor and head of the department of crop sciences. “His professional standards, service orientation and genuine concern for the welfare, development and success of his personnel have created a new ‘culture of collegiality’ at the CSREC.” Having earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1972, Dunker has worked as an agronomist and technical manager at the UI for three decades. As superintendent, he has displayed strong leadership capabilities and innovative thinking for the department of crop sciences. For example, Dunker developed a Central Information Management Center to ensure all workers and researchers had access to correct, up-to-the-minute information about pesticide applications in research plot areas so that no one enters an area before it is safe. Dunker also developed the course Crop Sciences 100, which has been taught since 1999. Its aim is to introduce students with no farming background to farming systems, farm and farm-product-handling equipment, and farm-management techniques.
Robert W. Frazee and the Illinois River have become close friends during his 31 years with UI Extension. Recognizing the environmental and agricultural importance of the state’s most prominent inland resource, he has written more than 100 nationally published articles on rivers and erosion, has coordinated and led more than 30 Illinois River Awareness Barge Tours attended by community leaders and elected officials, and was instrumental in organizing the first Illinois River Conference in 1987. “Bob Frazee is very passionate about natural resource conservation,” wrote Stanley Solomon, UI Extension educator, and Susan Meeker, visiting UI Extension educator. “We are very honored and fortunate to work with Bob, as his energy and commitment to protecting Illinois’ valuable natural resources is evident in his work.” Along with his work to raise awareness on the Illinois River, Frazee has presented more than 30 tillage programs in the past 15 years to implore farmers to adopt mulch-till and no-till farming practices. Through his leadership, Illinois now leads the country in the amount of cropland being planted using no-till methods. Frazee also was instrumental in developing the nationally recognized Illinois River Curriculum to foster conservation awareness for students. “[Frazee] is known throughout the state of Illinois as one of our state’s technical experts … on the entire field of agricultural systems and natural resource protection,” wrote Steve Frank, bureau chief of the Bureau of Land and Water Resources. Frazee received his master’s in agronomy from the UI in 1972.
Gladys Hunt works as a bridge-builder of positive relationships and understanding among UI faculty members, students and the surrounding community in her role as coordinator of program development and outreach for the Psychological Services Center. She was instrumental in receiving a grant from the Champaign County Mental Health Board, has kept in close contact with the African-American community of Champaign as a trusted resource and provider, and has supervised undergraduate students in hands-on engagement of community service. “The pattern here is that Gladys breaks new ground,” wrote Thom Moore, director of the Psychological Services Center. “She looks to form new partnerships and alliances, she brings new solutions to old problems, and she uncovers new problems. She is a friend and advocate of the people she works with.” Hunt also has spearheaded several influential community projects, including the Champaign-Urbana African-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Project, which aims to educate the African-American community on the devastating effects of the disease; Community Collaboration for Economic Development, which assists low-income and minority small-business owners to initiate and maintain business ventures; and Partners for Progress, which assists local schools in their quest for equity and quality education for African-American students. For the past five years, she has hosted a Sunday morning radio program titled “Hour of Meditation” on WEFT-FM (90.1). She also produces a television program on WILL-TV titled “Black Perspectives.” In 1996, Hunt was appointed by President Clinton to the National School-to-Work Advisory Council for her work with parents and children on the issues of education and employment.
Dennis J. Kane has made significant contributions to the educational mission of the physics department and the university as a senior specialist in automated education. “It is fair to say that the renaissance in undergraduate physics teaching that our department has undergone and Illinois’ new national recognition as a leader in physics education research would not have happened had it not been for Denny’s innovations in computerized courseware,” wrote Jeremiah D. Sullivan, head and professor of physics. “His ingenuity has helped us to exploit new technology that has fundamentally changed physics pedagogy – both here at the University of Illinois and at other institutions around the state and the nation.” Interactive computer-assisted methods that promote collaborative learning, improve communication skills and develop higher-order thinking competencies have replaced lecture and textbook at Illinois. Kane implemented the delivery and administration of very large enrollment courses by way of the Web and is the sole author of a unique set of Web-based software tools (dubbed Tycho).This interactive learning environment provides easy-to use interfaces for both students and instructors. Tycho has been adopted not only by UI faculty members, but by physics departments around the state and across the country, including Cornell University and Ohio State University. In addition, Kane created the physics Web Gradebook course-management software. Making Gradebook available to any department has allowed departments to submit grades electronically, ensuring accurate and timely reporting for some of the largest courses on campus. Most recently, Kane has been working with the UI-Integrate team providing input for the student module.
Ray D. Twesten, a research electron microscopist, oversees the operation of the suite of transmission electron microscopes in the Center for Microanalysis of Materials in the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory. However, his contributions to the campus far exceed these responsibilities. “Dr. Twesten has proven himself as a national and international leader in the field of electron microscopy and nanocharacterization, but he has not forgotten the university’s mission of public service,” wrote Ivan Petrov, director of the Center for Microanalysis of Materials. “He has made a strong impact on the users of (the center) by facilitating research either through direct interaction or training. … (He also played) a pivotal role in raising the level of TEM instrumentation and technique at this campus to its current world-class level.” The constellation of 14 major instruments that Twesten supports is unequaled by any university in the nation. He has made major contributions to both the upkeep and operation of these instruments and was a key player in the processes that brought more than $2 million of competitive awards to campus to develop instrumental infrastructure for electron microscopy at the center. The center has trained more than 270 scientists during the last five years and Twesten has interacted with nearly all of them. He helps students understand their data and guides them to the correct literature and techniques to answer specific research questions. In addition, Twesten gives guest lectures in formal courses, often using the center’s instruments as teaching aids. He also has given science demonstrations at local schools as well as giving comprehensive center tours and TEM demonstrations to groups of students visiting campus. He also has given Internet demonstrations to prospective users and at professional meetings.
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