December 12, 2008

Appointments, honors and activities

— Don Fry is the new regional director of development for the Chicago area. Fry, who has experience in development, management, marketing and public relations, most recently was senior vice president at Hartsook Companies Inc.

• Faculty and staff honors:

— Gregory Deason, director of Purdue Research Park, was elected president of the Association of University Research Parks. The association was established in 1986 with a mission to promote the development and operations of research parks through collaboration among universities, industry and government. The group has more than 350 members and represents more than 400 research parks worldwide. Deason will serve for one year.

— Michael O'Hair, associate dean for engagement in the College of Technology, received two awards during the Project Lead the Way guidance counselor conference held Dec. 9 in Indianapolis. He received the Indiana Project Lead the Way Service Award, presented jointly by the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Purdue, which is given to those who provide outstanding service to Indiana education. He also received the Bell Ringer Award from Suellen Reed, Indiana superintendent of public instruction. The Bell Ringer Award, the highest education award given by Indiana, honors those who make significant contributions to schools in the state.

— Ulrike Dydak, assistant professor in health sciences, and her co-authors recently received the Magna Cum Laude Award from the Radiological Society of North America. This award was given at the annual meeting for the group's poster titled "Fast Spectroscopic Imaging: Which Technique to Choose?" and involved co-authors from Sweden, Germany, Philips Healthcare and the University of New Mexico. The poster focused on several new MRI and MR spectroscopic imaging techniques, which reduce scan time from more than 30 minutes to three to five minutes, and which technique should be used in particular applications. Only seven of these top awards were given out of a field of more than 1,600 entries.

— Purdue's chapter of Mortar Board, a national senior honor society, recognized six faculty members at its Women of Purdue reception Dec. 4. The purpose of the program is to honor Purdue women faculty who have recently been hired or promoted into prestigious positions on campus. The 2008 honorees are: Danita Brown, associate dean of students; Jean Chmielewski, associate dean for graduate education and international programs in the College of Science; Melba Crawford, assistant dean of engineering for interdisciplinary research and director of the Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing; Ellen Gruenbaum, head of the Department of Anthropology; Kathryne Newton, head of the Department of Industrial Technology; Teri Lucie Thompson, vice president for marketing and media.

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