December 17, 2005
Trustees honor professor; OK name change, new degree programs
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue University Board of Trustees today (Saturday, Dec. 17) approved a named professorship in the School of Veterinary Medicine as well as a proposal for a new degree program and a program name change at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
The trustees also approved a new degree program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
J. Paul Robinson, professor of basic medical science in the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and biomedical engineering in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, was named SVM Professor of Cytomics. Robinson also is director of the Purdue Cytometry Laboratories and the deputy director for cytomics and imaging technology for the Bindley Bioscience Center. Cytometry is a technique for counting, examining and sorting microscopic particles, such as cells, and especially blood cells.
"This award gives our faculty the opportunity to be honored by their peers, and among the criteria evaluated are international achievements in scholarship or research," said Provost Sally Mason. "Dr. Robinson has represented Purdue around the world, from Australia to Europe, and throughout the United States, and I am happy to recognize his achievements."
Designated professorships honor individuals who also have made contributions to the university through scholarship, research, teaching or leadership functions. Purdue now has 118 designated professors.
Robinson's current research projects include engineering interactions, veterinary/biomedical interactions, cancer biology and biomedical technology for diagnostics, which involves flow cytometry and the development of image analysis tools for 3D evaluation of tissue.
He is editor-in-chief of Current Protocols in Cytometry and has been a member of several National Science Foundation advisory panels and National Institutes of Health panels. He is president-elect of the International Society for Analytical Cytology, has published widely in peer-reviewed publications and has edited seven books and numerous book chapters.
He has been on the faculty at Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine since 1988. Previously, he worked as a research scientist and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Michigan.
Born in New South Wales, Australia, Robinson received a bachelor's degree with honors in 1975 from the University of New South Wales. He earned a master's and doctorate there in 1980 and 1983, respectively.
In other business, the trustees approved a new bachelor's degree program in biomedical engineering technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Students will learn to integrate the technical, electrical and computer aspects of medical equipment with the needs of the medical staff and patients.
"As one of only a few undergraduate biomedical engineering technology programs in the country, IUPUI will quickly become the lead," Mason said. "The program will address a growing need for engineering technicians in the clinical environment who can support the rapidly expanding use of technology in patient care."
Also at IUPUI, the trustees approved a name change for the associate of science degree program in biomedical electronics technology. The new name will be biomedical engineering technology.
The board also gave approval for a new master's degree program in technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. The program is designed to meet the needs of part-time, currently employed students and is expected to accommodate full-time students once fully established. It will emphasize preparation of students for technical leadership positions in business and industry or faculty positions in technology and engineering technology programs. The degree program is subject to approval from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
"The proposed master's degree will prepare students for the advanced technological requirements of the modern workplace without some of the advanced theoretical components contained in graduate degrees offered in engineering and computer science," Mason said.
Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu
Sources: Sally Mason, (765) 494-9709, sfmason@purdue.edu
J. Paul Robinson, (765) 494-0757, jpr@flowcyt.cyto.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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