September 28, 2007

Purdue Notebook

Appointments and promotions:

- Jon Harbor, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado at Denver, has been named associate vice president for research for centers and institutes at Purdue University. He will oversee Purdue's existing centers and institutes and the development of new and emerging ones. Harbor had been a Purdue faculty member, joining the university's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences as a professor of environmental geosciences in 1994. In 2000 he was selected for Purdue's top recognition for teaching, the Murphy Teaching Award, and he has published widely in environmental science and education research. He also has served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar and has held appointments as head of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, associate dean for research and interim associate dean for graduate education for Purdue's College of Science. He was a founding co-director of the Discovery Learning Center in Purdue's Discovery Park.

- Richard Borgens, who is the Mari Hulman George Professor of Applied Neurology at Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine, was nominated for this year's Hall of Fame award sponsored by the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. Borgens, who holds a joint appointment in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, is one of four nominees for the research in basic sciences category. Borgens developed technology that forms the basis of an overall platform of potential treatments for central nervous system injury and disease. Most notably, he designed the oscillating field stimulator for treating spinal cord injuries through the regeneration of damaged nerve fibers. Inductees into the Hall of Fame will be announced at the third annual Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala on Nov. 6 at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Campus activities:

- Economists specializing in empirical international trade will present their current research at the 14th Annual Empirical Investigations in International Trade conference Oct. 12-14 in Krannert Center, Room 108 The conference is for research and teaching faculty and students, and is sponsored by the international economics group and the Center for International Business Education and Research. For information, contact David Hummels, professor of economics, at hummelsd@purdue.edu.

- The Center for International Business Education and Research will sponsor a Doctoral Consortium on International Operations Management at Purdue Oct. 11-13. The event focuses on international issues related to the field of operations management and is open to all doctoral students in management, especially those in the formative stages of their research agenda. For information, contact Maqbool Dada, professor of management, at dada@purdue.edu.

- Purdue University Residences is sponsoring the annual Jay Severson Memorial Walk/Run at 10 a.m. on Oct. 13 that honors the Wiley Hall resident assistant who was killed by another student after he discovered drugs in the student's room. Proceeds benefit the Jay Severson Memorial Fund, which is used to fund drug abuse education and prevention efforts. Registration is $10. Register by Oct. 4 to receive a free T-shirt. For information, contact Denton Sederquist at (765) 494-2312 or sederquist@purdue.edu.

- Owen Hall will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a '50s-themed reception at the residence hall from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Oct. 27. All former and current Owen Hall residents and staff are invited to the event that will include hall tours, reminiscent photo displays and refreshments in the former Busby Grill. For information, contact Susan Huffman at smhuffman@purdue.edu.

Faculty and staff honors:

- Cathy Tilton, vice president of standards and technology at Reston, Va.-based Daon Inc., received the Outstanding Mentorship Award in Undergraduate and Graduate Education in the Field of Biometrics from Purdue's Biometric Standards, Performance and Assurance Laboratory. Tilton received the award Sept. 27 during the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards M1 technical committee meeting at Purdue. Tilton received the award  – the first given by the lab - for her mentorship of undergraduates and graduates at Purdue since 2001. Tilton has provided students with opportunities for internships and has spoken to classes and student groups, such as Women in Technology. In addition, she has also served on a master's degree committee for the department.

Alumni honors:

- Steven Bishop, a 1986 graduate of Purdue, received the Mortar Board Alumni Achievement Award, an honor for Mortar Board alumni who are outstanding in their professional lives or who have contributed to local, national or international communities. He was honored at the organization's  recent national conference. Bishop resides in Fort Mitchell, Ky., where he serves as president of North America market operations at Proctor & Gamble. Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service.

Student honors:

- Vukica Jovanovic, a graduate student in mechanical engineering technology, has been selected to attend the Advanced Technological Education Principal Investigators Conference Oct. 17-19 in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the American Association of Community Colleges. She is currently working as a graduate research assistant in the Product Lifecycle Management Center of Excellence Laboratory. Her research focuses on product lifecycle management and digital manufacturing.

- The Barbara Cook chapter of Mortar Board was presented with the Golden Torch Award, Project Excellence Award and the Best Overall Web Site Award for the 2006-07 academic year at the organization's national conference. The Golden Torch Award is given to chapters who exemplify the organization's ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. The chapter received the Project Excellence Award for the group's "Leave Your Legacy … Embrace the Challenge" leadership conference and Reading Extravaganza.  Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service.

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

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