Appointments, honors and activities
• Appointments and promotions:
- Andrew Mesecar, the Walther Professor in Cancer Structural Biology, has been named the first deputy director of the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research. Mesecar will be responsible for industrial relations and direct initiatives to secure major research funding from the pharmaceutical industry for drug discovery initiatives, as well as oversee grant administration and the shared resources for the center. He has been active in cancer-related drug discovery for more than 10 years and has extensive experience in structure-based drug design. Mesecar previously served as assistant head of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and joined Purdue's faculty in August. Funds from a $2.1 million grant from the Walther Cancer Foundation were used to recruit Mesecar and support the new deputy director position.
- The College of Liberal Arts has named two new department heads and five new directors of interdisciplinary studies programs. The appointments are:
* Adrian Del Caro, head of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
* Bert Useem, head of the Department of Sociology.
* Susan Curtis, director of American Studies.
* William McBride, director of Philosophy and Literature.
* Daniel Hsieh, director of Asian Studies.
* Bich Minh Nguyen, director of Asian American Studies.
* Song No, director of Latin American and Latino Studies.
• Notables:
- JoAnn Brouillette, a member of Purdue's Board of Trustees, on Aug. 18 received the 2010 AgriVision Award for her deep commitment to Indiana agriculture. The award, presented by Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman at the Indiana State Fair's Celebration of Agriculture, is given to a Hoosier who has demonstrated exemplary leadership to maximize the potential of Indiana agriculture. Brouillette is managing partner and president of Fowler-based Demeter LP.