Appointments, honors and activities

September 26, 2014  


Appointments and promotions:

- Mark Hall, associate professor of biochemistry, is the recipient of a Summer Science Program New Curriculum Prize. He is now eligible to apply for additional funding to fully develop his proposal for a summer research experience for talented high school students from around the world. Hall received a $2,000 prize for his curriculum titled "Using Biochemistry and Evolution to Characterize New Targets for Anti-Fungal Drugs." The proposal is for students to characterize the properties of an enzyme that fungal pathogens need to infect plants, including agriculturally important crops. The students would then use their results to design drugs that could inhibit the enzyme and protect valuable crops from infection. Hall's proposal was one of two from the United States to win. SSP was founded to inspire motivated and talented high school students to become scientists, mathematicians and engineers by providing them with intensive interdisciplinary, collaborative research.

- Jianxin Ma, Purdue University associate professor of agronomy, has been appointed an associate editor of G3: Genes/Genomes/Genetics, the Genetics Society of America's peer-reviewed, peer-edited journal. Since the journal's launch in 2011, its editorial board of academic experts has helped to shape G3 as a forum for the publication of genetics findings and resources. Ma's research targets basic and applied aspects of plant genetics and genomics, with a focus on translating basic discoveries into tangible applications for soybean improvement. He and colleagues have focused on sort of "G3" research: identifying genes underlying traits of agronomic importance, decoding complex crop genomes, and developing genetics and genomics tools and resources for soybean improvement.

- The Purdue Institute for Civic Communication has appointed Kathryn Cramer Brownell, an assistant professor of history, as its first faculty fellow. Brownell will use the fall 2014 fellowship to design a class that will employ the C-SPAN Video Archives to study the history of presidential debates. The class will be offered in fall 2015. Brownwell studies American politics and is author of the new book "Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life." PICC's Faculty Fellow program encourages Purdue students and faculty to turn to the archives when researching issues, candidates and media. PICC is a university-wide, nonpartisan initiative for applied and experiential learning and is led by ambassador Carolyn Curiel, founder and executive director of PICC, and a clinical professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication. 

- J. George Shanthikumar, a Krannert School of Management professor, has been named a POMS fellow by the Production and Operations Management Society. The honor recognizes POMS members who have made exceptional intellectual contributions to the profession and society through research and teaching. Shanthikumar is the Richard E. Dauch Chair Professor of Manufacturing and Operations Management and director of the Dauch Center for the Management of Manufacturing Enterprises and Global Supply Chain Management Initiative at Krannert.

Notables:

- Jeffrey Dukes, professor of forestry and natural resources, and biological sciences, has co-edited the book "Invasive Species and Global Climate Change," a comprehensive look at how climate change will affect invasive species, their ranges and their impact on the environment. Dukes also wrote the introduction to the book, published by CABI, an international nonprofit organization that works on agricultural issues. The book is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and through CABI. 

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