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November 15, 2002

Faculty and staff honors

– Clint Chapple, professor of biochemistry, has been elected to the rank of fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Chapple was honored for isolating genes of plant phenylopropanoid metabolism, including ferulate 5-hydroxylase, the key regulator of lignin composition. Chapple will receive the award in February during the AAAS annual meeting in Denver.

– Thomas Webster, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, has won a prestigious Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society. His award was based on originality and ingenuity in a research paper published by a peer-reviewed journal. Webster has pioneered a nanotechnology technique that could result in better artificial body parts, such as prosthetic hips, joints and arteries. Natural bone and tissues contain tiny bumps on their surfaces that are measured on the scale of nanometers, or billionths of a meter. Artificial materials now used for prosthetics are much smoother than natural substances and do not contain the nanometer-scale features. Those features, however, could be critical to keeping the body from rejecting the artificial parts. Webster's work has shown that the body more readily accepts materials containing the tiny bumps and that the bumps also stimulate the body to regrow bone and other types of tissue.

– Pam Morris of the Department of 4-H/Youth received the annual Award for Diversity at the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges meeting in Chicago. Morris received the award based on her work with multicultural education, international programs and community service learning.

– Carolyn Gery, executive director of the Purdue President's Council was honored by past chairs of the council for her 30 years of service during the President's Council 30th Anniversary program (11/8). Gery, who has led the President's Council since 1972, is spearheading the effort to grow the organization's membership to 8,000 households.

 

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STUDENT HONORS
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Soil judging team wins regional contest

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A Purdue soil judging team consisting of Kristi Kahlenbeck, Albion, Ind.; Andrew Pitstick, Rensselaer, Ind.; Frank Helt, Scipio, Ind.; and Ryan McAninch, Burnettsville, Ind., placed first at the Region III Soil Judging Contest, ranking above teams from seven universities.

Individual honors also were earned by Chet Cooprider (second place), Jasonville, Ind.; Kristi Kahlenbeck (third place); Andy Pitstick and Frank Helt (tied for fourth and fifth place); Derek Blair (sixth place), Huntington, Ind.; Ryan McAninch (12th place); Chris Witte (13th place), Woodburn, Ind.; Eric Ott (14th place), Prairie DuSac, Wis.; and Genny Mosher (20th place), Monon, Ind.

The soil judging team is coached by Gary Steinhardt, Loree Johnston, Cathy Myers and Phil Carter.

 

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


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