May 5, 2008

College of Science honors distinguished alumni

"The Distinguished Science Alumni Award was established to recognize outstanding achievement in professional and related fields of endeavor," said Jeffrey S. Vitter, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science. "These individuals have made an impact and earned distinction in fields that will shape the future of science. They illustrate the many ways a Purdue science education fuels success and are an inspiration to our students."

The 2008 distinguished science alumni are:

* Ernestine Klotz Cary of Lomont, Colo., is founder of Cary and Associates, which provides geotechnologies marketing and consulting services. Cary is a past president and a fellow of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Purdue in 1972. She went on to earn a master's of philosophy and doctorate degree in mathematics from Columbia University.

* David S. Chen of Warren, Mich., is the vice president of General Motors China and general manager of General Motors China Beijing operation responsible for corporate affairs and advanced technology management. Chen earned a master's degree in statistics from Purdue in 1983. He earned a master's degree in engineering from Stanford University and a doctoral degree in engineering from the University of Michigan.

* Shun-Zer Chen of Houston is president and CEO of The New Era Group. He has served as senior vice president, chief actuary and board member of Columbia Universal Life. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Chen was recognized in Who's Who in America in 1986 and Who's Who in Finance and Industry in 1992. Chen earned a master's degree and doctoral degree in statistics from Purdue in 1967 and 1970, respectively.

* Rebecca Potratz Creech of West Lafayette, Ind., is a chemistry teacher at Harrison High School and serves as the school improvement co-chair. She also serves as the high school science chair for Tippecanoe School Corp. and is a mentor for new teachers and Purdue student teachers. Creech earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and biological sciences and master's degree in science education from Purdue in 1996 and 2001, respectively.

* N. Reed Dunnick of Ann Arbor, Mich., is the Fred Jenner Hodges Professor and chair of the Department of Radiology at the University of Michigan. He also is president-elect of the American Board of Radiology and president of the Academy of Radiology Research. He is the founding president of the Radiology Research Alliance and has been named Best Doctor in America. Dunnick earned a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Purdue in 1965 and a medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1969.

* Moira Gunn of San Francisco is founder and host of Public Radio's "Tech Nation" and "BioTech Nation." She has served as a scientist and engineer for NASA and is a board member emeritus of the Tech Museum of Innovation. She also is author of "Welcome to Biotech Nation: My Unexpected Odyssey into the Land of Small Molecules, Lean Genes, and Big Ideas." Gunn earned her master's degree in computer science in 1972 and became the first woman to earn her doctorate in mechanical engineering from Purdue in 1974.

* David A. Hager of Edmond, Okla., is a board member of Devon Energy Corp. and Pride International Inc. He served as chief operating officer of Kerr-McGee Corp. before retiring in 2006. Hager also served as a geophysicist for Mobil Corp. Hager earned a bachelor's degree in earth and atmospheric sciences from Purdue in1979 and a master's of business administration from Southern Methodist University in 1984.

* Daniel A. Reed of Redmond, Wash., is Microsoft's scalable and multicore computing strategist. He has served as the Chancellor's Eminent Professor at the University of North Carolina and as director of the Renaissance Computing Institute. He is a member of President George W. Bush's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and is chair of the board of directors of the Computing Research Association. Reed earned master's and doctoral degrees in computer science from Purdue in 1980 and 1983, respectively.

* Patrick J. Starich of West University Place, Texas, is a geophysical associate with ExxonMobil Exploration Unconventional Resources. He has served as technical adviser to ExxonMobil's exploration, production, development and research affiliates, and as the company's upstream geophysical coordinator. Starich earned a master's degree in earth and atmospheric sciences from Purdue in 1984.

* Lowell E. Wenger of Birmingham, Ala., is the dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Alabama. He previously served as chair of the Department of Physics and associate dean in the College of Science at Wayne State University. Wenger earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in physics from Purdue in 1971, 1973 and 1975, respectively.

* Louis F. Wong of Mason, Ohio, works in Global Beauty Analytical for The Proctor & Gamble Co. Wong has been awarded the Global Analytical Leadership Recognition and the Ph.D. Campus Recruiter of the Year awards. He holds more than 20 patents and has served on the Purdue Chemistry Department Advisory Board. Wong earned a doctoral degree in chemistry from Purdue in 1976.

The College of Science has 324 faculty members, and it enrolls more than 1,000 graduate students and almost 3,000 undergraduates. It is made up of seven departments: biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and atmospheric sciences, mathematics, physics, and statistics.

Writer: Elizabeth Gardner, (765) 494-2081, ekgardner@purdue.edu

Sources: Jeffrey S. Vitter, (765) 494-1730, sciencedean@purdue.edu

John Fisher, director of alumni relations and special events, (765) 494-0586, jrfisher@purdue.edu

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

Note to Journalists: Complete biographies and publication-quality photos of the 2008 distinguished science alumni recipients are available at  https://www.science.purdue.edu/alumni_and_friends/
distinguished_alumni/archive/2008/index.asp

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