Faculty honors

Chad Rienstra, professor of chemistry, received the Founders Medal from the International Conferences on Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems. The award cited Rienstra's innovative work in the area of solid-state NMR methodology and applications to determine protein structures. The award is given to a scientist under age 41 who has made exceptional contributions to developments and/or progress in the area of magnetic resonance in biological systems.

Ken Suslick, professor of chemistry, received the 2009 Student Council Mentoring Award from the Acoustical Society of America. The council presents this award every 18 months to recognize exemplary mentors who guide the academic and/or professional growth of students and junior colleagues.

Andrzej Wieckowski, professor of chemistry, has been appointed a fellow of the International Society of Electrochemistry. A member is named a fellow "in recognition of her/his continuing outstanding scientific and/or technical achievement within the field of electrochemistry." Fellows will be inducted in August at the annual meeting in Beijing.

Mark Leff, associate professor of history, Bruce Reznick, professor of mathematics, Katherine Wahl, teaching associate of mathematics, and John Griswold, lecturer of English, have been honored with the Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. The award recognizes professors, instructional staff members, and graduate teaching assistants who display consistently excellent performance in the classroom, take innovative approaches to teaching, positively affect the lives of their students, and make other contributions to improved instruction, including influencing the curriculum.

Philippe Tondeur, professor of mathematics (emeritus), was named a Fellow by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). Fellowship is an honorific designation conferred on members distinguished for their outstanding contributions to the fields of applied mathematics and computational science. He was cited for leadership in science policy.

Donald Burkholder, professor of mathematics (emeritus), was named a Fellow by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). Fellowship is an honorific designation conferred on members distinguished for their outstanding contributions to the fields of applied mathematics and computational science. He was cited for his advances in martingale transforms and applications of probabilistic methods in analysis.

Valerie Hoffman, associate professor of religious studies, was selected as a 2009 Carnegie Scholar. The Carnegie Scholars Program seeks to promote American understanding of Islam as a religion and the characteristics of Muslim societies, particularly American Muslim communities. The title of Hoffman’s project is “Islamic Sectarianism Reconsidered: Ibadi Islam in the Modern Age.” Her exploration of Ibadism’s responses to globalization will shed light on the potential for a rigid, closed sect to embrace the diversity of the global age. The resulting book will fill a significant gap in the field and enhance both academic and public understanding of the distinctive nature of modern Ibadism.

Paul Kwiat, Bardeen professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering, is among the 360 Outstanding Referees of the Physical Review and Physical Review Letters journals by the American Physical Society, chosen by the journal editors for 2009. The program recognizes scientists who have been helpful in assessing manuscripts for publication in the society's journals.

Michael Stone, professor of physics, is among the 360 Outstanding Referees of the Physical Review and Physical Review Letters journals by the American Physical Society, chosen by the journal editors for 2009. The program recognizes scientists who have been helpful in assessing manuscripts for publication in the society's journals.

Alejandro Lugo, associate professor of anthropology and Latina/o studies, received a 2008 Southwest Book award from the Border Regional Library Association for his book Fragmented Lives, Assembled Parts: Culture, Capitalism, and Conquest at the U.S.-Mexico Border. The award is presented in recognition of outstanding books about the Southwest published in any genre and directed toward any audience.

Kenneth Suslick, Marvin T. Schmidt professor of chemistry and professor of materials science and engineering, was recognized as an MRS Fellow by the Materials Research Society. Fellowship is awarded to one whose sustained and distinguished contributions to the advancement of materials research are internationally recognized.

Michael Palencia-Roth, Trowbridge Scholar in Literary Studies and professor of comparative and world literature, has been appointed to a multi-year term as senior adviser to the Institute of Moralogy, Reitaku University, Japan. He is the third senior adviser and the first international one in the history of the institute.

Jabari Asim, scholar-in-residence in African American studies and journalism, received the 2009 AABHE Distinguished Cultural Award from the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education. This award is given to those individuals whose body of work has documented the black American experience.

Danuta Shanzer, professor of classics and medieval studies, was elected as a Fellow of the Medieval Academy. Fellows are scholars who have made notable contributions to the furthering of the stated purpose of the academy, which is to support the research, publication, and teaching of all aspects of the Middle Ages.

Nicholas Yannelis, Commerce Distinguished Alumni professor of economics, has become the editor of Economic Theory. Economic Theory provides an outlet for research in all areas of economics based on rigorous theoretical reasoning and on topics in mathematics that are supported by the analysis of economic problems.

Anna Westerstahl Stenport, assistant professor of Germanic languages and literatures, Scandinavian studies, cinema studies, comparative and world literature, and gender and women's studies, has been awarded a fellowship for postdoctoral research in Scandinavian studies by the Scandinavian American Foundation. The award is for her book project concerning new models of cinema production at the Swedish Film Institute and Film i Väst. The award carries a travel and research stipend for research on contemporary Swedish film and the Scandinavian film industry.

Harry Triandis, professor of psychology (emeritus), has won the Eminent Scholar Award in International Management from the Academy of Management. The award is "aimed at recognizing a body of scholarship that has profound impact on international management and business scholarship, research, and practice. The recipient is meant to embody a mixture of new thought and effective communication into the community." He will give a talk and receive the award at the Academy of Management conference in Chicago on August 11.

Frederick Hoxie, Swanlund professor of history, has been named a professor in the Center for Advanced Study (CAS). CAS professors are permanent members of the center, selected from the faculty on the basis of their outstanding scholarship. These appointments are among the highest forms of campus recognition.

Scott Denmark, R.C. Fuson Professor of Chemistry, has been awarded the Herbert C. Brown Award for creative research in synthetic methods from the American Chemical Society. Denmark’s most seminal contribution is laying the theoretical foundation and exploiting the manifestations of Lewis base activation of Lewis acids, a counterintuitive phenomenon.

Ziada (Zan) Luthey-Schulten, professor of chemistry, was named a William H. and Janet G. Lycan professor of chemistry. This professorship is awarded to exceptional faculty in the School of Chemical Sciences.

Benjamin McCall, assistant professor of chemistry and astronomy, received a 2009 Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Research Fellowships seek to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise. These two-year fellowships are awarded yearly to researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field.

Martin Burke, assistant professor of chemistry, received a 2009 Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Research Fellowships seek to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise. These two-year fellowships are awarded yearly to researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field.

Ed Diener, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Psychology (emeritus), was a recipient of the 2008 American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) for prose work in the field of psychology, for his recent book Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth.

Clarence Lang, associate professor of African American studies and history, received the 2009 EBSCOhost America: History and Life Award for his article “The ‘Long Movement’ as Vampire: Temporal and Spatial Fallacies in Recent Black Freedom Studies,” which he coauthored with Professor Sundiata Cha-Jua. The EBSCOhost America: History and Life Award is a biennial award given to recognize and encourage scholarship in American history in the journal literature advancing new perspectives on accepted interpretations or previously unconsidered topics.

Sundiata Cha-Jua, associate professor of African American studies and history, received the 2009 EBSCOhost America: History and Life Award for his article “The ‘Long Movement’ as Vampire: Temporal and Spatial Fallacies in Recent Black Freedom Studies,” which he coauthored with Professor Clarence Lang. The EBSCOhost America: History and Life Award is a biennial award given to recognize and encourage scholarship in American history in the journal literature advancing new perspectives on accepted interpretations or previously unconsidered topics.

Carl Woese, the Stanley O. Ikenberry Professor of Microbiology, will be honored by the 2009 American Society for Microbiology with the Abbott-ASM Lifetime Achievement Award this May. This is the society’s premier award for sustained, remarkable contributions to the microbiological sciences.

Elizabeth Lowe, director of the Center for Translation Studies, was recognized on the list of "Outstanding Academic Titles" for 2008 by Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. She was recognized for her work "Translation and the Rise of Inter-American Literature" (University Press of Florida, 2007). Titles are chosen based on their overall excellence in presentation and scholarship, importance relative to other literature in the filed, and distinction as a first treatment of a subject.

Christopher Fennell, assistant professor of anthropology, working with other archaeologists, historians, and volunteers, has succeeded in having New Philadelphia, Ill., recognized as a National Historic Landmark. New Philadelphia was the first town established by a free African American before the Civil War. New Philadelphia was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, nominated for National Historic Landmark status in 2008, and received National Historic Landmark status on January 16, 2009.

Wilfred van der Donk, Richard E. Heckert endowed chair in chemistry, received the 2009 OBC Lecture Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry's journal Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry in recognition of his contribution to the field of bioorganic chemistry, particularly related to lantibiotics and molecular processes associated with resistance to antiobiotics and bacterial infections. The award is given to chemists who have made a significant research contribution to organic or bioorganic chemistry. The lecture will be given as part of the Natural Products symposium at the 42nd IUPAC congress, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, August 2-7.

Jay Bass, professor of geology, was elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. Only one in each 1,000 members is elected to the Fellowship each year. Nominations for this honor are reserved for those who have made exceptional scientific contributions and who have attained acknowledged eminence in Earth and space science. The Fellowships will be awarded at an Honors Ceremony this May.

Don Wuebbles, professor of atmospheric sciences, was elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. Only one in each 1,000 members is elected to the Fellowship each year. Nominations for this honor are reserved for those who have made exceptional scientific contributions and who have attained acknowledged eminence in Earth and space science. The Fellowships will be awarded at an Honors Ceremony this May.

Abigail A. Salyers, professor of microbiology, will be awarded the American Society for Microbiology’s 2009 Graduate Microbiology Teaching Award. This award recognizes distinguished teaching of microbiology and mentoring of students at the graduate and postgraduate levels. The award will be presented during the society’s 109th general meeting in May. The society is the world’s oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 43,000 members worldwide.

Mara R. Wade, professor of Germanic languages and literatures, was elected the chair of the International Society for Emblem Studies. The society exists to foster the study of emblem books and related materials in literature and the visual arts, their origins and influence on other cultural forms, in all periods, countries, and languages.

Charles Schroeder, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, has been named one of “Tomorrow’s PIs” by Genome Technology magazine. Investigators were selected for their innovative work and research in a discipline that’s part of the systems biology field, as well as for being early in their careers as scientists.

Carol Symes, associate professor of history and medieval studies, received the Herbert Baxter Adams Prize from the American Historical Association for her book A Common Stage: Theater and Public Life in Medieval Arras. The Adams Prize is awarded annually for a distinguished first book of a scholar in European history.

Zsuzsa Gille, associate professor of sociology, received an honorable mention for the Davis Center Book Prize in Political and Social Studies from the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies for her book From the Cult of Waste to the Trash Heap of History. The Davis Center Book Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding monograph on Russia, Eurasia, or Eastern Europe in anthropology, political science, sociology, or geography.

John Rogers, professor of chemistry and founding professor of materials science and engineering, has been selected as a National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellow. He is one of only six distinguished university faculty scientists and engineers selected from a field of over 650 for the 2009 award. As part of the award, Rogers will receive $3 million over five years to conduct research concerning technological developments that will benefit the Department of Defense. Rogers' research includes fundamental and applied aspects of nano and molecular scale fabrication as well as materials and patterning techniques for unusual format electronics and photonic systems.

Kent Ono, professor of Asian American studies, is a recipient of the 2008 Charles H. Woolbert Research Award from the National Communication Association for his article with John M. Sloop of Vanderbilt University, "The Critique of Vernacular Discourse." This award is given for articles that have stood the test of time and have become stimuli for new conceptualizations of speech communication phenomena.

Xuming He, professor of statistics, earned the rank of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for his contributions to the theory and applications in nonparametric and robust statistics, and for distinguished service to the profession as an editor and National Science Foundation program director.

Patrick Weatherhead, professor of animal biology, earned the rank of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for biological sciences. Weatherhead was chosen for his distinguished contributions to the field of animal behavior and ecology, particularly empirical studies of reproductive behavior and sexual selection in birds and snakes.

Eric Oldfield, professor of chemistry, earned the rank of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for chemistry. Oldfield was selected for his contributions to biological magnetic resonance, including chemical shift analysis and development of anti-malarial drugs.

Jeff Brawn, professor of animal biology and natural resources and environmental sciences, earned the rank of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for biological sciences. Brawn was recognized for his contributions to the field of avian population biology, specifically for studies in avian demography and comparative life history evolution in temperate and tropical birds.

Richard Braatz, professor and Millennium Chair of chemical and biomolecular engineering, earned the rank of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for engineering. Braatz was chosen for his contributions to the field of control engineering, particularly for the control of chemical, materials, and pharmaceutical processes.

Feng Sheng Hu, professor and head of the Department of Plant Biology, earned the rank of Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, for biological sciences. Hu was recognized for his contributions to the fields of paleoecology and paleoclimatology, notably for deepening our understanding of the development of boreal ecosystems through the Holocene.

William Hammack, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, earned the rank of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for societal impacts of science and engineering. Hammack was honored for his contributions in communicating science, technology, and engineering through American Public Media's "Marketplace" radio program and through his service as a U.S. diplomat.

Steve Leigh, associate professor and head of the Department of Anthropology, earned the rank of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for anthropology. Leigh was honored for his contributions to the field of biological anthropology, and particularly for innovative work in the areas of primate growth and life history theory.

Peter Fritzsche, professor of history, was named a finalist for McGill University's Cundhill International Prize in History for his book, Life and Death in the Third Reich, in which Fritzsche examines how Nazism took hold in Germany. The book was one of three finalists out of more than 170 submissions. Books were judged by their literary, social, and academic impact in the area of history.

John Randolph, associate professor of history, received the W. Bruce Lincoln prize for his book The House in the Garden: The Bakunin Family and the Romance of Russian Idealism (Cornell, 2007). The prize is "for an author's first published monograph or scholarly synthesis that is of exceptional merit and lasting significance for the understanding of Russia's past." His book also won honorable mention for the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies' Wayne S. Vucinich book prize for the most important contribution to Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies in any discipline of the humanities and social sciences.

Steve Granick, Founder Professor of Engineering, and professor of materials science and engineering, of chemistry, of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and of physics, was awarded the 2009 Polymer Physics Prize of the American Physical Society. The prize, presented annually since 1960, is one of the highest honors in physical polymer science in the United States. Granick was cited for his “pathbreaking and elegant experiments that elucidate the structure and dynamics of polymers and liquids confined by surfaces.”

Charles P. Slichter, Research Professor of physics and Center for Advanced Study Professor Emeritus of physics and chemistry, received the 2007 National Medal of Science in physical sciences. He received the award for "establishing nuclear magnetic resonance as a powerful tool to reveal the fundamental molecular properties of liquids and solids. His inspired teaching has led generations of physicists and chemists to develop a host of modern technologies in condensed matter physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine." The National Medal of Science is given to individuals "deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences." Slichter was presented with the award by President George W. Bush on September 29, 2008, in the East Room of the White House.