Appointments, honors and activities

• Appointments and promotions:

- Carol Baunach, a lieutenant with the Purdue University Police Department, has been appointed to captain, Purdue police Chief John Cox announced. Baunach, a graduate of Purdue and the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, started her law enforcement career with the Lafayette Police Department, where she served for three years before coming to Purdue's department. She has been a driving force behind the department's current CALEA accreditation and, as records lieutenant, has served as the department accreditation manager. Baunach will serve as the Patrol Division Commander. She will oversee the daily operations of patrol and dispatch.

• Faculty and staff honors:

- Ji-Xin Cheng, a professor in Purdue University's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry, has received a 2014 SPIE Translational Research Best Paper Award for his paper, "Spectroscopic imaging unveils the essential role of cholesterol accumulation in cancer proliferation." The award recognizes "an outstanding contribution in the field of biomedical optics with the potential to change clinical practice and improve the lives of patients," according to SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.

- Mitch Warren, director of admissions, received the Dorothy Cheesman Award from the Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling. The association's highest award recognizes outstanding service to Indiana's students, high schools and institutions of higher education in the field of postsecondary counseling. Warren was given the award at the association's spring meeting earlier this month.

• Student honors:

- Five Purdue students are finalists for two of the nation's top student programs.

Allison Turner, a junior from Channahon, Ill., is a finalist for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, which is for students dedicated to a career in public service. Turner, who is pursuing a double major in natural resources and environmental science and political science, focuses on community clean water issues. Turner will participate in her final interview in March.

Four Purdue students are finalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which supports a post-baccalaureate year abroad. The students are:

* Collin Hanson, from Noblesville, Ind., a senior studying pharmaceutical sciences. He plans to teach English in a medical setting to underserved populations in Ecuador.

* Maria Daniela Jimenez, from Anaheim, Calif., a master's student studying American Studies. She is interested in studying how Chicana/Chicano Mexican culture has influenced Denmark's subculture of psychobilly, which is a fusion genre of rock music.

* Ben Kariya, from Apple Valley, Minn., is a senior studying chemical engineering. He is interested in studying hydrogen production in Japan.

* Elizabeth Mitchell, from New York City, is a master's student studying hospitality tourism management. She is interested in studying sustainable business tourism in Spain.

Both programs require students to be nominated by their institutions. Purdue's National and International Scholarships Office is coordinating the nomination process for these students. The winners for both programs are expected to be announced this spring.

- Suzanne Clemenz, a doctoral candidate in the American Studies program and English, has been awarded one of the 10 2014 Woodrow Wilson Women's Studies Dissertation Fellowships. Clemenz will receive $5,000 to be used for expenses connected with completing her dissertation, "Morality Play: Framing 'Family Values' in Contemporary Southern U.S. Narratives." The Woodrow Wilson Women's Studies program supports the final year of dissertation writing for doctoral candidates in the humanities and social sciences doing interdisciplinary and original work on these issues. More information is available at http://woodrow.org/news/ww-womens-studies-fellows-2014/